Yes, Tennessee does sell alcohol on Sunday, but the hours and the answer depend on what you’re buying and where you are. Liquor stores and grocery stores can sell spirits and wine from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Bars and restaurants pour from either 10:00 a.m. or noon until 3:00 a.m. Monday. Beer at grocery and convenience stores is banned on Sunday by default and is only available in counties that have voted to allow it. Three holidays override Sunday sales entirely.
Liquor Stores: Spirits and Wine
Retail package stores, which is Tennessee’s term for liquor stores, may sell wine and spirits on Sunday between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.1Justia Law. Tennessee Code 57-3-406 – Regulation of Retail Sales Weekday hours run longer on the front end, opening at 8:00 a.m., but the 11:00 p.m. close is the same every day. Package stores are the only retail locations in Tennessee where you can buy spirits like whiskey, bourbon, or vodka to take home.
Wine at Grocery Stores
Grocery stores and larger retail food stores can also sell wine on Sunday between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. That has been the rule since January 1, 2019; before then, grocery wine sales were limited to Monday through Saturday.2Tennessee.gov. Frequently Asked Questions – Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission The change lined grocery hours up with what package stores were already doing on Sundays.
Beer at Grocery and Convenience Stores
Beer is where the answer flips. Under state law, beer sales are prohibited from midnight Saturday through 11:59 p.m. Sunday night, an all-day ban unless the county has passed a resolution extending the hours.3Justia Law. Tennessee Code 57-5-301 – Sales to Minors or Intoxicated Persons Prohibited – Hours of Sale and Consumption County legislative bodies have the authority to extend those hours by resolution.
Whether your county has done so is the whole question. Davidson (Nashville) and Shelby (Memphis) have opted in, so Sunday beer is available across the shelves in those areas. In counties that haven’t acted, the beer cooler stays closed on Sunday while the wine aisle a few steps away is open for business. If you’re not sure about the county you’re in, call the store or check with the county clerk before making the trip.
Bars and Restaurants
Establishments with a liquor-by-the-drink license work off a different clock. The base statute prohibits sales between 3:00 a.m. and noon on Sundays.4FindLaw. Tennessee Code 57-4-203 – Prohibited Practices – Hours of Sale – Authority of Commission – Penalties The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission has used its authority to push the Sunday start time back to 10:00 a.m. in jurisdictions that haven’t opted out.5Cornell Law Institute. Tennessee Comp. R. and Regs. 0100-01-.03 – Conduct of Business Local jurisdictions can opt out and revert to noon.
So whether a Sunday brunch mimosa is available at 10:00 a.m. or noon depends on local action. Either way, service can run until 3:00 a.m. Monday.
Sunday Delivery
Third-party delivery services can bring sealed beer, wine, and spirits to your door on Sunday, during the same hours those products may legally be sold at retail.1Justia Law. Tennessee Code 57-3-406 – Regulation of Retail Sales For spirits and wine, that’s 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. The driver must be at least 21, hold a state-issued delivery license, verify a government photo ID at the door, and deliver only to the address on the order, with the recipient’s signature. Orders over two gallons require the driver to carry a copy of the order showing the recipient’s name, address, and quantity. These conditions apply to services like DoorDash and Instacart operating in the state.
Holidays That Shut Sunday Down
Three holidays override the Sunday rules for off-premise sales. Retail package stores must close entirely on Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter, and grocery stores face the same blackout for wine on those days.2Tennessee.gov. Frequently Asked Questions – Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission When Christmas or Easter falls on a Sunday, the holiday restriction wins and no wine or spirits are sold at retail that day. Buy the day before if you’re planning around one of these holidays.
Bars and restaurants with liquor-by-the-drink licenses aren’t subject to those holiday closures, so dining out for a drink is still an option on Thanksgiving or Easter.
Dry Counties and the Local Patchwork
Tennessee is dry by default. A county doesn’t sell alcohol at all unless voters have approved it through a local option election, and a municipality that has been incorporated for at least five years can hold its own election even if the surrounding county stays dry.6Justia Law. Tennessee Code 57-3-106 – Local Option Election
That layered system produces some odd geography. A wet city can sit inside a dry county. One county can allow beer but not liquor by the drink. Driving across Tennessee on a Sunday, you can cross from a county where every kind of alcohol is available into one where none is sold on any day. Don’t assume the Nashville or Memphis rules apply where you’re headed. When it matters, check with a local business or the county clerk first.