You can buy alcohol on Sunday in Michigan. Beer and wine are available statewide from 7 a.m. Sunday through 2 a.m. Monday at licensed stores, bars, and restaurants. Spirits and mixed drinks are sold after noon on Sunday, but only in counties that have authorized Sunday spirits sales, and local governments can tighten or ban Sunday sales in their own jurisdictions.
Sunday Hours for Beer and Wine
Under the Michigan Liquor Control Code, beer and wine can be sold between 7 a.m. on Sunday and 2 a.m. on Monday.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 436.2111 – Sunday Sale of Beer and Wine During Certain Hours That applies both to on-premise places like bars and restaurants and to off-premise retailers like grocery stores and convenience stores (known in state licensing as “specially designated merchants”).2Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Specially Designated Merchant (SDM) License
A caveat sits inside that same statute. A county, city, village, or township can prohibit beer and wine sales between 7 a.m. and noon on Sunday, or ban Sunday beer and wine sales entirely.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 436.2111 – Sunday Sale of Beer and Wine During Certain Hours Most communities don’t, but in smaller townships and rural areas it’s worth checking before counting on a before-noon beer run.
Sunday Hours for Spirits and Mixed Drinks
Spirits are on a separate track with stricter rules. The default under state law is that spirits and mixed drinks cannot be sold on Sunday. A county’s legislative body has to affirmatively authorize Sunday spirits sales by majority vote before any licensee in that county can pour them.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 436.2113 – Selling at Retail or Buying Spirits or Mixed Spirit Drink on Sunday Most Michigan counties have done so; a few have not.
Where a county has opted in, Sunday spirits sales work like this:
- At stores, spirits and mixed drinks can be sold after noon on Sunday through 2 a.m. Monday.
- At bars and restaurants, spirits and mixed drinks can be served after noon on Sunday, but only in establishments where more than 50% of gross receipts come from food and non-alcohol sales. A full-menu restaurant with a bar area generally qualifies; a place that lives on drink sales does not.
In counties that haven’t authorized Sunday spirits sales, residents can push the question onto the ballot by petition, but the question can appear only once every four years.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 436.2113 – Selling at Retail or Buying Spirits or Mixed Spirit Drink on Sunday
What About Before Noon?
Any sale between 7 a.m. and noon on Sunday, whether it’s beer at a grocery store or mimosas at brunch, requires the licensee to hold a specific permit from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. That permit carries a $160 annual fee.4Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 436.2114 – Sale or Furnishing of Alcoholic Liquor Between Certain Hours Prohibited Not every licensee pays for it, which is why some stores and restaurants start Sunday sales at noon rather than 7 a.m.
Nothing is sold before 7 a.m. on any day of the week. State law prohibits all alcohol sales between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m.4Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 436.2114 – Sale or Furnishing of Alcoholic Liquor Between Certain Hours Prohibited
Local Bans and Opt-Outs
Local governments in Michigan have real authority over Sunday alcohol. A county, city, village, or township can restrict or ban Sunday sales of beer and wine, spirits, or both, either by a vote of the legislative body or by local referendum.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 436.2111 – Sunday Sale of Beer and Wine During Certain Hours The most common local rule is prohibiting Sunday sales before noon, though some places have opted out of Sunday sales altogether.
Hillsdale County is the prominent holdout. It remains the only county in Michigan with a countywide ban on Sunday on-premise sales of spirits and mixed drinks. A 2025 bill was introduced to make repealing such bans easier, but the Hillsdale ban was still in place as of that effort. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission publishes a list of local governments that have opted out of Sunday sales, which is the quickest way to confirm the rules somewhere unfamiliar.
Christmas and New Year’s Eve
Two holidays override the normal Sunday schedule, and they come up because Christmas and New Year’s Day sometimes fall on a Sunday.
On Christmas, no licensee in Michigan can sell any type of alcohol between 11:59 p.m. on December 24 and noon on December 25. That covers stores, bars, and restaurants alike.5Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Holiday Retail Sales Hours
On New Year’s Eve, on-premise establishments can serve alcohol until 4 a.m. on January 1, and patrons can keep drinking until 4:30 a.m. The extended hours still apply if January 1 falls on a Sunday.5Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Holiday Retail Sales Hours
No other holidays carry special statewide restrictions. Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, and the rest follow the normal daily and Sunday rules.