Kansas liquor stores are closed statewide on three holidays: Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Depending on where you live, they may also be closed every Sunday. That is the short answer to what holidays liquor stores are closed in Kansas, and the rest comes down to whether your city or county has voted to allow Sunday sales.
The Three Statewide Closure Days
No licensed retail liquor store anywhere in Kansas sells alcohol on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day. The Kansas Department of Revenue lists those three as the mandatory no-sale days for retail liquor stores, and the rule applies regardless of local ordinances.1Kansas Department of Revenue. When Can Alcoholic Liquor and Cereal Malt Beverage (CMB) be Sold or Served?
Easter is written into the statute slightly differently depending on where you are. In areas that allow Sunday sales, Easter is specifically carved out as a closed day. In areas that don’t allow Sunday sales, Easter is already covered because every Sunday is closed.2KANSAS OFFICE of REVISOR of STATUTES. Kansas Statutes 41-712 – Days and Hours of Sale by Retailers Either way, the door is locked.
Sundays Depend on Your City or County
Kansas sorts jurisdictions into two groups. In a “basic” jurisdiction, liquor stores cannot sell on any Sunday. In an “expanded” jurisdiction, where voters or officials have approved Sunday sales, stores may open on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with Easter still closed.2KANSAS OFFICE of REVISOR of STATUTES. Kansas Statutes 41-712 – Days and Hours of Sale by Retailers
Because this is decided locally, the rules can differ from one city to the next within the same county. If you aren’t sure, call the store or check with your city clerk.
Holidays That Are Not Required Closures
New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day are not mandatory closure days for Kansas liquor stores. None of them appear in K.S.A. 41-712, and the Department of Revenue’s official chart lists only Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.1Kansas Department of Revenue. When Can Alcoholic Liquor and Cereal Malt Beverage (CMB) be Sold or Served? On those other holidays, stores can keep their normal hours. An individual owner may still choose to close, so it’s worth a phone call before you drive over.
Hours on the Days Stores Are Open
State law allows retail liquor sales from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday. In expanded jurisdictions, Sunday hours run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.1Kansas Department of Revenue. When Can Alcoholic Liquor and Cereal Malt Beverage (CMB) be Sold or Served?
A city or county can also require an earlier weekday closing time, though not before 8 p.m.1Kansas Department of Revenue. When Can Alcoholic Liquor and Cereal Malt Beverage (CMB) be Sold or Served? Your local store’s hours may be shorter than the statewide maximum.
Deliveries Follow the Same Rules
If a store is required to be closed, it can’t deliver either. Kansas regulations allow deliveries from a retail liquor store only during the hours and days the store is legally allowed to sell. That rules out deliveries on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Sundays in basic jurisdictions.3Kansas Department of Revenue. Handbook for Retailers
Bars, Restaurants, and Grocery Stores Are Different
The holiday closure rules above apply to retail liquor stores. Other alcohol sellers follow different schedules, which trips people up on holidays.
Drinking establishments like bars, restaurants, and clubs are not held to the same holiday closures as liquor stores. They can generally serve on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas under their normal permitted hours.
Grocery and convenience stores that sell beer, licensed as off-premises cereal malt beverage retailers, follow their own schedule. In basic jurisdictions they are closed on Sundays. In expanded jurisdictions they can sell on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with Easter closed. Unlike liquor stores, CMB retailers in expanded jurisdictions are not required to close on Thanksgiving or Christmas.4Kansas Department of Revenue. Handbook for Cereal Malt Beverage Retailers So if you need beer on Christmas Day in a city with expanded sales, your grocery store may be an option even though every liquor store is closed.