On Sunday in Indiana, you can buy alcohol to take home between noon and 8 p.m., and you can order a drink at a bar or restaurant from 7 a.m. until 3 a.m. the next morning. That split between carryout and on-premise is the whole answer to what time you can buy alcohol in Indiana on Sunday, and it’s the detail that trips most people up.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 7.1, Article 3, Chapter 1, Section 7.1-3-1-14
Carryout From Stores: Noon to 8 P.M.
Grocery stores, liquor stores, pharmacies, and convenience stores can sell packaged beer, wine, and spirits on Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The eight-hour window is the same for every type of alcohol. No separate rule for liquor, no separate rule for beer.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 7.1, Article 3, Chapter 1, Section 7.1-3-1-14
This window is relatively new. Indiana banned Sunday carryout sales entirely until March 2018, when the governor signed a bill opening the noon-to-8 p.m. hours. The rule applies both to retailers that also serve on-site and to dealers that only sell packaged alcohol to go.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 7.1, Article 3, Chapter 1, Section 7.1-3-1-14
At a Bar or Restaurant: 7 A.M. to 3 A.M.
If you’re drinking at a bar, restaurant, brewery, or any other licensed establishment, Sunday looks like every other day of the week. On-premise sales run from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m. the following morning, Sundays included.2Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission. Rules & Laws Sunday brunch mimosas and late-night orders follow the same schedule you’d see on a Wednesday.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 7.1, Article 3, Chapter 1, Section 7.1-3-1-14
This on-premise schedule has been part of Indiana law much longer than the Sunday carryout rule. Even during the decades when a six-pack was off limits on Sunday, you could still order a beer with your meal.
How Sunday Compares to the Rest of the Week
Monday through Saturday, carryout follows the same hours as on-premise: 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Sunday is the only day with a tighter carryout window.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 7.1, Article 3, Chapter 1, Section 7.1-3-1-14
- On-premise, any day: 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.
- Carryout, Monday through Saturday: 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.
- Carryout, Sunday: noon to 8:00 p.m.
All times are prevailing local time, which matters here because Indiana straddles two time zones. Most of the state is on Eastern Time, but several counties near Chicago and Evansville are on Central Time. The legal cutoff tracks whatever your local clock says.
What Happens if You Try to Buy Outside Those Hours
As a customer, nothing. The legal consequences fall entirely on the seller. Stores and bars that sell outside permitted hours face administrative fines from the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, with a maximum of $1,000 per violation for most permit holders, and repeat violations can lead to license suspension or revocation.3Cornell Law Institute. 905 IAC 2-2-4 – Schedule of Fines and Penalties If the register at your grocery store refuses to ring up a bottle of wine at 11:55 a.m. on a Sunday, that’s the store’s compliance system doing its job. Come back in five minutes.