Friday, Feb. 16, 2024
Is it illegal in Texas to buy hard liquor in stores on Sunday but legal to do so in bars?
Texas bans liquor stores from selling hard alcohol on Sunday, but bars and restaurants can do so.
People are allowed to buy liquor in a bar or restaurant in Texas beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday. If they are not eating, people have to wait until noon Sunday.
Texas has restricted liquor sales on Sundays since 1935, after a law was passed in response to the end of Prohibition.
The ban is one of the few remaining pieces of the state’s blue laws, which were intended to prohibit the sale of certain goods on Sundays, a day traditionally dedicated to church and resting.
In 2023, state legislators proposed ending the ban on Sunday liquor sales by allowing grocery and convenience stores to sell ready-to-drink cocktails seven days a week. The bill did not reach a vote.
Previous attempts to lift the ban were unsuccessful, too.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Texas Legislature Alcoholic Beverage Code
- Texas Legislature Alcoholic Beverage Code | Sec. 24.07. Hours of Sale
- State of Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code | Chapter 105. Hours of Sale and Consumption
- The Dallas Morning News (archive) Is Texas going to end the ban on Sunday liquor sales?
- Texas Tribune Texplainer: Why Can't I Buy a Car or Liquor on Sundays?
- Texas Legislature Bill: SB 1288
- Texas Legislature Bill: HB 2200
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