In Texas, the time you can buy alcohol depends on what you’re buying. Beer and wine are generally sold from 7:00 a.m. to midnight, liquor stores run 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and stay closed on Sundays, and bars and restaurants can serve until midnight on most nights, or until 2:00 a.m. where a late-hours permit applies.
Beer and Wine to Go
Grocery stores, convenience stores, and other off-premise retailers follow the widest schedule in the state:
- Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. to midnight
- Saturday: 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning
- Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to midnight
Saturday night is the only night off-premise sales run past midnight.1Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. FAQs Sunday sales start at 10:00 a.m. under the current statute.2State of Texas. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code Section 105.05 – Hours of Sale: Malt Beverages
Liquor Stores
Liquor stores, called package stores in the Alcoholic Beverage Code, operate on much tighter hours:
- Monday through Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Sunday: closed
Those hours are uniform statewide, with no late-night exception and no way to extend the 9:00 p.m. cutoff.1Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. FAQs
Liquor stores also close on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. If Christmas or New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday, the closure shifts to the following Monday. No similar holiday closures apply to beer and wine retailers or to bars.1Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. FAQs
Bars and Restaurants
On-premise establishments can serve during these hours:
- Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. to midnight
- Saturday: 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning
- Sunday: noon to midnight, with food service allowed to start at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday has a brunch exception. Between 10:00 a.m. and noon, a bar or restaurant can serve alcohol only if the drink accompanies a food order. After noon, the food requirement drops and service continues until midnight.3Justia. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code Chapter 105 – Hours of Sale and Consumption The TABC doesn’t publish a detailed definition of what counts as food for this purpose, and most restaurants treat any menu item served to the table as satisfying the requirement.
Late-Hours Permits Push Last Call to 2:00 a.m.
The midnight and 1:00 a.m. cutoffs are defaults. Bars and restaurants in areas that allow extended hours can hold a Late Hours Certificate from the TABC, which pushes last call to 2:00 a.m. every night of the week.4Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. TABC License and Permit Types The certificate is available only to certain on-premise license holders, and only in cities or counties that have adopted late-hours sales. That isn’t limited to large metros; smaller cities such as Abilene have adopted it as well.5Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Abilene Alcohol Retailers May Now Apply for TABC Late Hours Permits
In extended-hours areas, patrons get a short grace period after last call. Public consumption remains legal until 2:15 a.m., giving customers fifteen minutes to finish a drink purchased before 2:00 a.m.1Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. FAQs
Local Rules Can Make Hours Shorter
Every hour above is a state maximum. Local jurisdictions can restrict alcohol sales further, and many do. Whether sales happen at all in a given area depends on its wet, dry, or moist status, which voters set through local option elections.6Texas Secretary of State. Local Option Liquor Elections
A wet area allows all legal sales. A dry area prohibits most or all sales. A moist area falls in between, with some categories allowed and others not; a common arrangement lets restaurants serve while prohibiting package liquor stores. Before assuming the state hours apply to you, confirm your city or county hasn’t restricted the type of sale you want. The TABC maintains a searchable database of local option statuses.
Penalties for Selling or Buying Outside Legal Hours
Selling or offering to sell alcohol during prohibited hours is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $4,000 fine, up to one year in jail, or both.3Justia. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code Chapter 105 – Hours of Sale and Consumption On the administrative side, the TABC can suspend a license for up to 60 days or cancel it after a hearing, depending on prior violations.7State of Texas. Alcoholic Beverage Code Chapter 61 – Provisions Generally Applicable to Licenses The base administrative penalty for an hours-of-sale violation is $1,000.8Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. TABC Regulatory Violations Base Penalty Chart
Consumers face consequences too. Possessing or consuming alcohol in a public place during prohibited hours is a Class C misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500.9State of Texas. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code Section 105.06 – Hours of Consumption and Possession in Certain Public Places