How early can you buy beer on sunday in texas

Blame Constantine, Prohibition and the Texas Legislature for the Lone Star State's alcohol laws.

TEXAS, USA — Editor's note: Updated on Sept. 2, 2021 tor reflect the changing laws enacted by HB 1518. The above video is from Aug. 31, 2021.

Are you like me? Have you ever thought to yourself, "I wish I could make myself a margarita this fine Sunday afternoon in Texas?" And then when you go to the store to buy tequila, it hits you: Liquor stores aren't open on Sundays in Texas. 

Texan liquor stores, much like Chick-fil-A, are closed on the Lord's Day. This is due to what's commonly known as "blue laws," which forbid the sale of certain items on Sundays and started out as a way to highlight Sunday as a day of worship or rest.

While Chick-fil-A's choice to close on Sundays was a personal business move, Texas' choice to close liquor stores on Sundays is a law that's nearly 90 years old. In Texas, the "no liquor on Sundays" law dates back to 1935, when lawmakers passed the Texan Liquor Control Act after Prohibition was repealed.

Historians trace the start of blue laws all the way back to 321 AD, when the Roman Emperor Constantine ordered "all workshops closed" on "the venerable Day of the Sun." This was at first a way to honor the Sabbath in a newly-converted Christian empire, but the spread of blue laws in America had as much to do with worker's rights as it did moral Christian attitudes about any sort of activity on Sundays.

In Texas, blue laws also meant you couldn't buy pots, pans and washing machines on Sundays — at least, not until 1985. Many other states still ban the sales of cars on Sundays.

Every Texas legislative session, these liquor store laws get challenged. House Bill 937 was filed at the beginning of the 87th Legislative Session and was set to extend liquor store hours in Texas. It never made it to the House Committee.

However, Texans will now be able to buy alcohol to-go as a result of bipartisan legislation meant to keep restaurants and bars afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. Customers can now pick up alcohol with food orders, and alcohol can also be delivered with food orders.

Here's a breakdown of the booze you can — and can't — buy on Sundays in Texas, according to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (obviously, you have to be 21 years old or older to buy any of the following items).

Liquor

All liquor stores are closed on Sundays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. If Christmas or New Year's falls on a Sunday, the liquor store is closed on the following Monday.

However, if you're at a fair, festival, concert, bar, restaurant or a sporting event in the morning, you can buy alcohol from 10 a.m.-noon on Sundays as long as the facility you're at has the proper permits. If you're at a bar or restaurant, you have to buy food with your drink before noon.

Christmas was added to the Texan Liquor Control Act in 1967, and Thanksgiving and New Year's Day were added in 1979, according to the Dallas Morning News. The Monday ban also started in 1979 to give liquor store workers another day off.

Beer

You can buy beer on Sundays, under the following stipulations:

  • The purchase is after 10 a.m. and before midnight (thanks to HB 1518, the hours got pushed up to 10 a.m.)
  • If you're at a fair, festival, concert or a sporting event in the morning, you can buy beer from 10 a.m.-noon on Sundays, as long as the facility you're at has the proper permits.

Wine

According to the TABC, a wine-only package store that holds a beer license can't sell wine containing more than 17% alcohol by volume on a Sunday or after 10 p.m. on any day.

If a wine-only package store doesn't have a beer license, the store must hold the same hours of sale as a package store.

Now thanks to HB 1518, you can buy wine starting at 10 a.m. 

Wineries are open from 10 a.m.-midnight on Sundays.

Editor's note: The below video on alcohol to-go was published in Feb. 2021 before the bill became law.

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    Inquiring minds want to know. Texas Alcohol Laws pose a really interesting question. For instance, can you buy beer on Sunday in Texas?

    Updated Mar 28 2022

    How early can you buy beer on sunday in texas
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    Learn the Rules

    Whether you grew up in Texas or you just moved, you might have stopped by the liquor store on a Sunday just to find that it’s closed. More recently, you might have seen people buying beer at the grocery store on a Sunday and been even more confused. What are the Texas beer laws, anyway? What times can you buy beer and liquor in Texas?

    The current alcohol laws in Texas limit selling beer, wine, or liquor before 10 am on a Sunday morning. Here's a trick, buy everything you need for Sunday on Saturday night. Anyway, this limit is in place from midnight until noon and is applicable at all locations where alcohol is sold. Liquor stores are closed all day on Sunday.

    These new laws are an update from the “blue laws,” a set of regulations enacted directly after Prohibition. They were voted in by concerned Texans after selling and serving alcohol became legal again. Now, almost one hundred years later, the Texan government finally loosened the Sunday restrictions.

    Need a hangover cure, try fire cider.

    What Hours Can You Buy Beer in the State of Texas?

    If you are trying to buy from a liquor store, you can buy as long as the store is open! Obvious, right?

    Here are the opening hours available for liquor sales to Texas proprietors in accordance with the alcoholic beverage code and liquor laws.

    • From 10 am to 12 am on a Sunday
    • 7 am to 12 am every other day of the week

    These laws are relatively new. They were enacted right before fall 2021. Sunday sales were completely illegal in Texas. Here are the legal hours of alcohol sales in Texas:

    • Monday: 7 am to 12 am
    • Tuesday: 7 am to 12 am
    • Wednesday: 7 am to 12 am
    • Thursday: 7 am to 12 am
    • Friday: 7 am to 12 am
    • Saturday: 7 am to 12 am
    • Sunday: 10 am to 12 am (liquor stores closed)

    The new Texas law, also known as House Bill 1518, was signed into law by Greg Abbot in the fall of 2020. It makes the sale of alcohol before noon on a Sunday legal and loosens the requirements for liquor stores to sell later in the evenings. This law makes it easier for the owners of liquor stores and anyone trying to buy liquor outside the regular hours.

    Underneath this bill, however, liquor stores must remain closed on Sundays. Liquor still cannot be sold outside certain retailers (unless in conjunction with food) or before noon on Sundays. There are some exceptions, including hotel bars, but liquor is mostly pretty limited on Sundays.

    It is easier to buy beer because of this law. Holidays, however, are a different story. Liquor stores must be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day, but any open grocery store is allowed to sell alcohol on these holidays.

    The Texas legislature has limited the opening of liquor stores, but not the hours of a regular grocery store. This means you can probably stock up on hard Mountain Dew since you can buy @ the grocery.

    What Permits or Licenses Are Required?

    So, what are the Texas alcohol laws? To buy beer in Texas, you only need to be over 21 years old and have a legal identification proving this. Retailers generally have an “under 40” policy. If you look under 40, they have to ask for your ID.

    Liquor stores, however, are required to ask for ID at all times and can be fined if they fail to ask. Selling liquor to minors is a huge offense and will undoubtedly land a liquor store owner or cashier in jail. The store could lose the permits required to sell the liquor and go bankrupt.

    There are multiple different types of permits for selling liquor in Texas, and they vary depending on the kind of retailer. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has over thirty permits, ranging from producing alcoholic beverages to retail to distributing, to temporary events and caterers’ licenses.

    Each license is for a different reason, but the most common permit (used for liquor stores) is the package store permit. This permit includes hard liquors (most permits only allow wine, beer, or a combination of the two) and allows transportation to and from other liquor stores.

    What Other Locations Can You Buy Beer/Wine/Liquor?

    Of course, you can buy beer, wine, and liquor at any liquor store in Texas. Multiple other retailers sell at least some kind of alcohol. The type that’s hardest to get a hold of is straight liquor. Essentially, you can’t find whiskey, vodka, or any other kind of liquor at any place other than a liquor store.

    However, many other places sell beer and wine. You can buy beer and wine at many Texas grocery stores, including H-E-B, the classic Texas grocery store. While the laws still apply, you don’t have to go to a liquor store to find the beer and wine you need!

    Alcohol in the grocery store is especially lovely if you need alcohol on a Sunday. Even though the liquor stores are closed, you can still find something to drink as long as it’s the afternoon. Convenience stores and gas stations also have a selection of beers. It is usually pretty limited, however.

    Another place to find beer, wine, and liquor is at your local brewery or winery. Of course, you can go and drink some cocktails or beer while you’re visiting. However, many breweries, wineries, and even distilleries offer take-home spirits for your parties. If you’re into craft brews, this is a great option.

    If you’re out of local options, it’s now legal to buy beer and wine online in Texas! However, mailing restrictions apply, and few places offer in-person pickup. The same selling and open hours laws apply as well. While it’s an improvement, the online liquor business will probably see some growth soon.

    Outro

    Whether you go to a liquor store, gas station, or grocery store, knowing when to buy beer in Texas is helpful. If you’re planning a weekend party and want to bring alcohol, you might want to plan to purchase your alcohol before Sunday starts. And, as a party host, you should know the many ways to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew, just in case.

    Either way, enjoy your alcohol safely and drink up!

    Can you buy beer before 7am in Texas?

    For grocery and convenience stores, Texas's alcohol sales times for wine are the same as beer: Monday through Friday 7am to midnight, Saturday 7am to 1am, and Sundays now from 10am to midnight. Aside from grocery or convenience stores, there are also package stores that sell beer and/or wine, but not liquor.

    What time do they start selling beer on Sunday Texas?

    The current alcohol laws in Texas limit selling beer, wine, or liquor before 10 am on a Sunday morning.

    Can you buy alcohol on Sunday morning in Texas?

    At what time can beer and alcohol be purchased on a Sunday in Texas? The law allows retailers selling beer and wine to begin those sales at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

    What is the earliest time you can buy beer in Texas?

    No. A person may sell, offer for sale, or deliver malt beverages between 7 a.m. and midnight Monday-Friday and on Saturday nights until 1 a.m. on Sunday.