As the people’s drink, beer has always been in high demand in Texas. They have a lot of brands available to buy, even more so since Texans are famous beer drinkers.
Every day, from Monday to Saturday, you can buy beer in Texas by midnight. On Sundays, stores have different opening times as they usually open later, so the time span is shorter.
Moreover, most of the stores in Texas are closed on Sunday, so if you want to have a beer on Sunday, it is best to play it safe and plan ahead.
The general rule says that you can buy beer as long as the beer and liquor stores are open in Texas. However, before the new alcohol legislation in Texas says that you could buy beer in Texas from 7 am to 12 am every day from Monday to Saturday, while on Sunday, you could buy beer from 10 am to 12 am.
Since the fall of 2021, it has been illegal to buy beer in Texas on Sunday, while the rest of the days, the rules remain the same.
Still, hotel bars and restaurants sell beer outside of the prescribed periods. There are also stores where you can buy beer in Texas on a Sunday, but only if you buy food.
During the winter holidays, the grocery and liquor stores are legally required not to open, so the alcohol availability is limited on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
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Beer is, without a doubt, an alcoholic beverage, but since it is a very soft drink, many legal systems have a more lenient approach when it comes to beer.
The US legislation is known as one of the most rigorous ones regarding alcohol consumption and trade. However, each state has its own separate alcohol legislation, regulated in accordance with its internal laws.
In the following article, I will explain when you can buy beer in Texas, how long do stores stay open, and if there are any exceptions and exemptions.
How Late Can You Buy Beer in Texas?
12 am, i.e., midnight is the latest you can buy beer in Texas. To purchase beer in Texas, you have to be over 21 years old and have a legal ID to submit as evidence.
In essence, retail stores have an “under 40” policy when selling beer on any alcohol in general. This policy is basically asking for an identification document when the customer appears younger than 40.
Nevertheless, stores must always ask the customer for an ID because if they fail to do so, they risk being penalized.
In Texas, there are various licenses that the retailers can have in order to sell of alcoholic beverages. If the store owner or cashier sells alcohol to minors, they are very likely to go to jail if someone reports them or if there is a law enforcement official nearby who sees such a thing, as that is a severe violation.
If the owner of the store or an employee sells alcohol to minors, in addition to going to jail, they could also lose their liquor license and be so heavily fined they often declare bankruptcy as a result.
Underage drinking is explicitly prohibited in Texas. The drinking age in Texas is 21, and this goes for all alcoholic beverages equally. Therefore beer, wine, and hard liquor are equally treated.
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Even though underage drinking is prohibited in Texas, a minor from 18 to 20 can buy a limited amount of beer only when accompanied by an adult.
Still, even though a person can buy alcohol in Texas only when they turn 21, that doesn’t mean that they cannot drink any alcohol whatsoever.
Moreover, the adult accompanying the minor buying the alcohol is held accountable for them and any possible problems that may arise.
The Texas state laws mandate that any retailer selling or dispensing alcohol must make sure the person buying or consuming the alcohol is of legal age.
Stores that break this regulation risk paying significant fines and losing their liquor licenses permanently. Regardless of the person’s age, most businesses have put measures in place to verify their customer’s identities.
It is appropriate for a business to demand that everyone in a group present valid identification before an alcoholic beverage is sold to the customer. The decision to close the deal rests with the seller.
Any liquor store in Texas sells beer, wine, and alcohol, but it also does many other retailers. However, regular stores often don’t sell alcohol in large quantities.
Unlike straight liquor, which is pretty hard to find in Texas stores, you can buy beer in many places, not only specialized liquor stores.
Even though most of the stores, liquor, and grocery stores are mostly closed on Sundays, you can still find a regular grocery store you can buy beer on a Sunday morning. However, even though you can buy beer in Texas in regular stores, the legal requirements still apply.
Still, chances of getting a beer on a Sunday afternoon are slim if you hope to get some from a grocery store. However, you can buy beer at a gas station or a convenience store.
They have a much narrower beer selection, but when you can’t find beer anywhere else, even a limited beer selection is much better than nothing.
Texas’s alcohol sales times for beer at grocery and convenience stores are from Monday to Friday from 7 am to midnight, Saturday from 7 am to 1 am, and Sunday from 10 am to noon if the store is open. However, it is not illegal to buy beer on Sunday unless the store has a license to do so.
What Time Do They Stop Selling Beer in Texas?
The regular hours to buy beer in Texas from Monday to Friday are from 7 am until midnight. The latest you can buy beer in Texas is 1 am on Saturdays. The rest of the days, Texas stores stop selling beer at 12 am, i.e., midnight.
On Saturday, you can buy beer in Texas from 7 am until 1 am. Most shops are closed on Sundays, but if they are open, you could buy beer from 10 am to noon, provided that the store has a special liquor license allowing it to do so.
Can You Buy Beer After 1 am In Texas?
If the establishment is legalized for late hours, and they have a permit to work late, you can have a beer at the location until 2 am on any night of the week. However, you cannot buy beer and take it out of the premises of the said establishment.
You can also have alcohol at a hotel lobby or a bar if the hotel has the appropriate permissions to do so, but, again, you cannot have the beer outside of the hotel premises.
At regular stores, the latest you can buy beer in Texas is 1 am.
Can You Buy Beer in Texas After 10?
In Texas, you can buy beer on weekdays from 7 am to midnight, Saturdays from 7 am to 1 am, and Sundays from 10 am to midnight. Liquor cannot be purchased on Sunday. Bars close as late as 2 am in some counties.
So, yes, you can buy beer in Texas after ten, but not on Sundays.
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What Time Do They Stop Selling Beer in Texas on Sunday?
Up until September 2021, grocery stores, liquor stores, and convenience stores in Texas could choose to remain open on Sundays. With the new legislation that took place after September 2021, now the stores need a special license to be able to work on a Sunday.
Purchasing beer and alcohol in general on Sunday has been made illegal, but if the retailer has a license to sell alcohol on Sunday, you could buy beer too.
Gas stations work on Sundays, as they are considered essential infrastructure, so you can buy beer on Sunday from a gas station from 7 am to 10 pm.
What Time Do They Stop Selling Beer in Texas on Saturday?
On Saturday, you can buy beer in Texas until 1 am. The bars in certain counties in Texas sell beer until 2 am, but those counties need to be legally regulated in such a way that the bars to sell alcohol until 2 am.
What Time Do They Stop Selling Beer in Texas on Friday?
You can buy beer in Texas on Friday until 1 am.
Why Can’t You Buy Alcohol on Sunday in Texas?
According to the new legislation, from October 2021 until now, it has been illegal to buy alcohol in Texas on Sundays. There is, however, a way around this if the store has a special license to sell alcohol on Sunday.
Resources:
- https://www.statesman.com/story/entertainment/dining/restaurant-reviews/2021/09/08/texas-alcohol-sunday-new-laws-what-to-know/5767753001/
- https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article264300301.html
- https://www.360training.com/blog/texas-alcohol-laws-sunday#:~:text=For%20grocery%20and%20convenience%20stores,or%20wine%2C%20but%20not%20liquor