Sometimes we all want to unwind with a beer but it’s late. That is why you would want to know “what time do they stop selling beer in Texas according to the new laws?” Moreover, is the hours you can take beer limited to the buying hours?
In this article, we’ll compare the time beer is sold in Texas every single day of the week and also compare the time with the time liquor stores stop selling beer in other states in the US. This includes if you can buy wine on Sunday in Ohio. In addition, having been in the craft business for a long time, we will describe the top 5 States with the longest beer-selling hours and the least States.
You may want to know if brewing beer is legal in Texas. Let’s dive in!
Time to sell Beer in Texas
Texas House Bill 1518
· Monday-Friday: 7am-midnight
· Saturday: 7am-1am (Sunday morning)
· Sunday: Noon to midnight- From 10 am only in conjunction with the service of food.
What Time Do They Stop Selling Beer in Texas?
As per House Bill 1518- the Texas new law that was signed by Greg Abbot in the fall of 2020, the time the liquor stores stop selling beer and other alcoholic beverages in Texas is 12 am every day except Saturday when the liquor stores can sell beer, wine, or liquor up to 1 am. The new law was effective September 1, 2021.
The new Texas law indicates that any on-premise location such as a bar or restaurant, or at an off-premise location like a grocery or convenience store, can start to sell, offer for sale, or deliver beer or alcoholic beverages at 7 am, Mondays through Saturdays but on Sunday the opening time should be 10 a.m to noon.
The opening time on Sunday is 10 am to noon only in conjunction with the service of food and thus alcoholic beverages only can be bought from liquor stores from noon on Sundays.
This law expanded the coverage of the limit to grocery stores and convenience stores in addition to the other drinking establishments such as bars, restaurants, venues, clubs, etc.) that can serve all types of alcoholic beverages. The liquor store can not sell alcohol to anyone who is less than 21 years in Texas.
The exception to these laws is in premises with retailer late hours certificate. These retailers can sell alcoholic beverages/ sell mixed beverages between midnight and 2 a.m. on any day.
Moreover, the expanded Texas law allowed hotel bars to sell or offer for sale alcoholic beverages at any time to a registered guest of the hotel. This means that a resident in a hotel can buy alcoholic beverages at any time.
Finally, with the new liquor laws and alcoholic beverage code on the hours for alcoholic beverages sale, the “blue laws,” have also been updated since they were put in place right after Prohibition.
Time They Stop Selling Beer in Texas On Friday
On a Friday, new Texas law indicates that any liquor store owner can start to sell, offer for sale, or deliver beer or alcoholic beverages at 7 am. This applies to all alcoholic beverage stores except hotel establishments where guests are boarding where alcoholic beverages can be taken at any time.
As per the new Texas law that was amended and assented to by the Governor in the fall of 2020, the time for liquor stores stops selling beer and other alcoholic beverages in Texas is 12 am on Friday. The newly signed Texas law was effective September 1, 2021.
Thus, even though we know Friday as the party day in most parts of the world, the law in Texas prohibits selling alcohol on Friday till late. For establishments with retailer late hours certificate, the closing time is extended by hours to 2 am on Saturday.
However, the exception is if the establishment is in a city or county legal for late hours, and they have late hours permit. In these instances, the liquor store can sell alcohol for on-premise consumption until 2 am any night of the week including Fridays.
Related: What time do they stop selling alcohol in New York?
Time They Stop Selling Beer in Texas On Saturday
On Saturday, the new Texas law indicates that any liquor store owner can start to sell, offer for sale, or deliver beer or alcoholic beverages at 7 am and close at 1 am (Sunday morning).
Thus, according to the new Texas law, all days of the week, the time for opening and closing alcoholic beverages is the same for all liquor stores- this gives you the time you can buy beer in Texas. The new law that was signed in the fall of 2020 allows premises to sell beer, wine, or liquor for extended hours on Saturday and reduced hours on Sunday.
Other than hotels where guests are checked in, most Austin drinking establishments (bars, restaurants, venues, clubs, etc.) can sell alcohol from 7 am and close at 1 am. However, some establishments have
Time They Stop Selling Beer in Texas On Sunday
The initial law did not permit selling alcoholic beverages including beers, wines, and distilled alcohol, among others during the following days:
- New Year’s Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
- Sunday; or
- Before 10 a.m. or after 9 p.m. on any other day.
However, the law has been revised severally with liquor stores getting the approval to sell liquor on most days but with limitations on the time they can sell alcoholic beverages.
The current Texas Law allows the sale of alcoholic beverages on Sunday from noon to midnight except where the premises sells alcoholic beverages together with food during which the opening time is extended to start at 10 am.
Thus, restaurants may sell alcohol on Sundays before the official start time in the current law. The law regulates anyone who is selling, offering for sale, or the delivery of malt beverages in Texas. Compared to Massachusetts whose liquor sale on Sunday starts at 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. at a convenience store & 10 a.m. – 12 a.m. at a bar or restaurant.
Time They Stop Selling Beer in Texas On Weekdays
The weekdays are considered a working time in the state. This means that the law ensures people are getting refreshed but also controls the sale of alcohol past midnight to ensure people also rest during the weekday. Therefore, there is a fixed time to buy beer in Texas on a weekday.
The new legal hours of sale and service on a weekday at an on-premise location such as a bar or restaurant, or at an off-premise location like a grocery or convenience store for alcoholic beverages such as beer in Texas is from 7 a.m. to midnight.
Therefore, you buy or sell malt beverages during those limited hours. The same 7 am to midnight selling or offering for sale hours for retailers applies to the time you can buy wine in Texas.
Wholesalers and local distributors Selling alcoholic beverages to retailers
The wholesalers according to the new Texas Law may sell, offer for sale or deliver alcoholic beverages to the retailers every day and every time except on a Sunday or Christmas day. This is for wholesalers and local distributors who have a wholesaler’s permit.
Moreover, a local distributor’s permittee is allowed by the new Texas law to sell, offer for sale, or deliver liquor to a retailer on any day from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. except:
- Christmas Day
- Sunday; or
- A day on which a package store permittee is prohibited from selling liquor.
The law on distributor selling time was part of the new law that was amended and assented to by Governor Greg Abbot.
Penalties for not following the opening and closing hours for selling alcohol in Texas
The law states the punishment for selling alcohol before or after the legal selling or buying hours. Thus, any establishment other than where guests are boarded that either offer for sale, deliver, or sell alcoholic beverages past the legally allowed hours or any establishment where people consume or they permit people to consume alcoholic beverages during the prohibited hours commits a Class A misdemeanor.
In Texas, a Class A misdemeanor is the most severe type of misdemeanor offense. A misdemeanor is the “lesser” criminal act in most common law legal systems as compared to offenses such as felonies.
If you are convicted of a Class A misdemeanor you will get a jail term of up to a year. Normally, the jail term is between six months and one year in a local jail. The Class A misdemeanor is also called Level One misdemeanor in most States.
The law allows retailers with retailer late hours certificate within a city or county having a population of 800,000 or more, to sell and offer for sale mixed beverages between midnight and 2 a.m. on any day.
Conclusion
In Texas, we have learned of the hours that selling alcohol is prohibited for both on-premise locations such as a bar or restaurant, or at off-premise locations like a grocery or convenience store. The new new legal hours of sale and service of alcoholic beverages as of 2021 are:
- Weekdays from 7 a.m. to midnight
- Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m., and
- Sundays from 10 a.m. to midnight when sold together with food or Noon if sold singularly.
We have also learned that selling alcohol during prohibited hours is a Class A misdemeanor which carries a jail term of between six months to one year. Therefore, to enjoy selling alcohol past the hours, you will need a retailer late hours certificate or own a hotel where guests are checked in.
Sources
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/AL/htm/AL.105.htm
https://support.sxsw.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003513746-Texas-Drinking-Laws
