On a Sunday in Massachusetts, you can buy alcohol at a package store, grocery store, or other off-premise retailer between 8:00 AM and 11:00 PM, and you can order a drink at a bar or restaurant starting at 10:00 AM until last call at 1:00 AM.1General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 138, Section 152General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 138, Section 33 Those are the state ceilings. Your city or town can set tighter hours, and holidays that land on Sunday change the rules again.
Buying a Bottle to Take Home
Package stores, grocery stores with alcohol licenses, and convenience stores with the right permit can sell between 8:00 AM and 11:00 PM any day of the week, Sundays included.1General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 138, Section 15 The night before a legal holiday, that window extends to 11:30 PM.
A common misunderstanding is that package stores can’t open until 10:00 AM on Sundays. That 10:00 AM rule applies to bars and restaurants, not retail. The off-premise statute doesn’t impose a special Sunday start time, so 8:00 AM is legal. Plenty of package stores still choose to open later on Sundays, and some local licensing boards require earlier closing, so individual shops may not use the full state window.
Ordering a Drink at a Bar or Restaurant
On-premise establishments cannot serve alcohol on Sundays between 1:00 AM and 10:00 AM.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 138, Section 33 In practice, Saturday-night service wraps up at 1:00 AM Sunday morning, and alcohol service resumes at 10:00 AM. That 10:00 AM start is the rule brunch spots work around.
Sealed cocktails sold to go follow the same clock. The 2024 law that permanently legalized mixed drinks for off-premise consumption runs through the on-premise license, so a restaurant cannot sell you a to-go cocktail before 10:00 AM on Sunday either.3Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. ABCC Advisory Regarding On-Premises Licensees Permanently Selling Mixed Drinks for Off-Premises Consumption
When Sunday Falls on a Holiday
Three holidays change the Sunday rules: Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Memorial Day.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 138, Section 33
- Christmas Day: Package stores cannot sell at all. Bars and restaurants are blacked out from 1:00 AM to noon, or from 2:00 AM to noon in Suffolk County.
- Thanksgiving: Package stores are closed. Bars and restaurants cannot sell either.
- Memorial Day: Package stores cannot sell before noon. Bars and restaurants face the same 1:00 AM to noon blackout, or 2:00 AM to noon in Suffolk County.
Cities and towns can soften the Christmas and Memorial Day restrictions for bars and restaurants by accepting Section 33B, which lets them authorize alcohol service at 10:00 AM instead of noon on those two holidays.4General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 138, Section 33B Not every municipality has opted in, so holiday brunch service is a town-by-town question.
Your Town Can Shorten the Hours
Massachusetts gives cities and towns broad authority to tighten alcohol hours past the state baseline. A local licensing board can require earlier closing, delay opening, or attach other conditions.5Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. Amend Your Alcoholic Beverages Retail License: Change of Hours Two towns a short drive apart can keep noticeably different Sunday hours.
For the exact hours of a specific store or restaurant, call the business or check with the local licensing board or town clerk. The statewide hours are the most anyone can sell. Your town may allow less, and the business itself may have agreed to a narrower schedule as a condition of its license.