In Florida, you can generally buy alcohol between 7:00 a.m. and midnight under the statewide default, but what time you can actually buy alcohol in Florida depends on the county or city you’re standing in. Local governments set their own hours, and last call ranges from midnight in some rural areas to as late as 5:00 a.m. in parts of Miami-Dade. If you want a precise answer, you need the local ordinance for your address, not just the state rule.
The Statewide Default
Florida Statute 562.14 sets the baseline: no licensed establishment may sell, serve, or allow consumption of alcohol between midnight and 7:00 a.m.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 562.14 – Regulating the Time for Sale of Alcoholic and Intoxicating Beverages That rule covers bars, restaurants, liquor stores, grocery stores, and every other kind of licensed seller. It applies anywhere a county or city hasn’t passed its own ordinance on the subject.2Florida DBPR. Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco – FAQs
Most populated areas have passed their own ordinances, so the midnight default is mainly what you’ll run into in smaller or more rural communities.
How Local Ordinances Change the Hours
Florida law gives counties and incorporated municipalities express authority to regulate the hours of business for any alcohol licensee within their borders.3Florida Senate. Florida Code 562.45 – Penalties for Violating Beverage Law; Local Ordinances A local government can push last call to 2:00 a.m., 3:00 a.m., or later, and it can also tighten hours below the state default if it wants.
Hours can differ even within one county. Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood sit inside Broward County but close at different times. Cities within a county can adopt their own ordinances that override the county rule for addresses inside city limits. If you’re in an unincorporated area, the county rule applies.
Alcohol Sales Hours in Major Florida Areas
The numbers below reflect on-premise hours (bars and restaurants), which usually run later than off-premise hours at liquor and grocery stores.
Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami
Miami-Dade has some of the latest hours in the state. In unincorporated parts of the county, nightclubs can sell alcohol from 8:00 a.m. until 4:50 a.m. the following day on weekdays. On Sundays, beer sales begin at 10:00 a.m. and other alcoholic beverages begin at 5:00 p.m., or 1:00 p.m. if served with meals at tables, with all sales ending at 4:50 a.m. Monday. Nightclubs must close their doors and clear patrons by 5:00 a.m.4Miami-Dade County. Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinances – Section 33-151 Hours and Days of Sale
Inside the City of Miami, bars and standard restaurants can sell from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. on weekdays and from noon to 3:00 a.m. on Sundays. Nightclubs and large hotels with 100 or more rooms get until 5:00 a.m. on weekdays and from noon to 5:00 a.m. on Sundays. Restaurants in designated entertainment districts like Brickell and Park West can serve even later with a special zoning permit.5City of Miami. Bona Fide Restaurant – Hours of Liquor Sales Even here, there’s always at least a two-hour window with no sales.
Hillsborough County (Tampa)
Hillsborough allows alcohol sales from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday sales start later, at 11:00 a.m., and also run until 3:00 a.m. Outside those hours, licensed establishments cannot sell alcohol, remain open for business, or allow patrons to continue drinking on-site.
Broward County (Fort Lauderdale)
Broward has no single countywide rule. Fort Lauderdale allows bars and restaurants to sell from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Monday through Thursday, extends to 3:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and runs 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. on Sundays. Off-premise stores follow similar hours, except Sunday sales end at midnight. Nearby Hollywood keeps it simpler: 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. every day for both on-premise and off-premise.
Duval County (Jacksonville)
Jacksonville generally follows the statewide default of 7:00 a.m. to midnight, with carve-outs for nightlife areas. Establishments in the Downtown Entertainment District can sell and serve until 3:00 a.m. Jacksonville Beach issues one-year permits that let qualifying businesses sell until 2:00 a.m. instead of midnight.
Pinellas County (St. Petersburg and Clearwater)
Pinellas allows alcohol sales from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. every day, including Sundays. Individual cities within the county can adopt different Sunday start times if they choose.
Sunday Hours Often Start Later
Florida has no statewide ban on Sunday alcohol sales, but local governments can and do impose Sunday-specific restrictions. The most common pattern is a later start time on Sundays. Hillsborough doesn’t begin Sunday sales until 11:00 a.m. Parts of Miami-Dade push non-beer sales to the afternoon.4Miami-Dade County. Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinances – Section 33-151 Hours and Days of Sale
A handful of counties ban Sunday sales entirely. Polk County, for instance, prohibits Sunday alcohol sales. These areas are the exception, but if you’re in a rural or more conservative part of the state, check before counting on a Sunday purchase.
Bars Stay Open Later Than Stores
The type of establishment matters. Florida’s alcohol licensing system draws a clear line between places where you drink on-site (bars, restaurants, nightclubs) and places where you buy sealed containers to take home (liquor stores, grocery stores, convenience stores).
On-premise establishments typically get the latest hours in any given jurisdiction. When an ordinance allows sales until 2:00 a.m. or 3:00 a.m., that usually applies to bars and restaurants. Off-premise sellers sometimes close earlier. In Fort Lauderdale, liquor stores must stop Sunday sales at midnight while bars can continue serving until 2:00 a.m.
Product selection also varies by license type. Grocery stores and convenience stores in Florida generally hold licenses covering only beer and wine. If you want to buy spirits to take home, you’ll need a dedicated store with a package liquor license. Florida uses a quota system for full-liquor package licenses, limiting the number available per county, which is why you won’t find a bottle of whiskey in most grocery store aisles.
Delivery and Cocktails To Go
Florida made cocktails to go permanent in 2021 through Senate Bill 148. A restaurant with an on-premise liquor license can sell individual cocktails for takeout or delivery, but the order must include food, and food and nonalcoholic beverages must account for at least 25 percent of the total bill. The cocktail container must be rigid, sealed, and tamper-evident, with no openings for straws. For delivery, the container has to travel in the vehicle’s trunk or a closed compartment away from the driver.
Delivery through apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash follows the same hours as the local ordinance where the seller is located. If a store sits in an area where sales end at midnight, the delivery must be completed by that time. Delivery drivers must be at least 21 and must verify the recipient’s age on delivery.
How To Find Your Local Hours
The fastest way to confirm the exact hours where you are is to search for your city or county name together with “alcohol sales hours ordinance.” Most Florida municipalities post their code online through Municode or their own government sites. If you’re in an unincorporated area, the county ordinance applies. If you’re inside city limits, the city ordinance controls.
When in doubt, treat 7:00 a.m. to midnight as the conservative assumption.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 562.14 – Regulating the Time for Sale of Alcoholic and Intoxicating Beverages You won’t find anywhere in Florida that lets you buy alcohol before 7:00 a.m., with the rare exception of a few jurisdictions starting at 8:00 a.m., and every jurisdiction’s last call falls somewhere between midnight and 5:00 a.m. If your plans depend on a late-night purchase, call the bar or store directly. Staff will know their own closing time better than any guide can.