In Minnesota, you can buy alcohol from a liquor store between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. Bars and restaurants serve until 2:00 a.m. Grocery stores, convenience stores, and gas stations can sell 3.2 percent beer from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. on Sunday. The exact answer to what time you can buy alcohol in Minnesota depends on where you’re buying and what you want.
Liquor Store Hours
Off-sale licensees — the state’s term for liquor stores — operate under Minn. Stat. § 340A.504, Subdivision 4. On Monday through Saturday, they cannot sell before 8:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 340A.504 – Hours and Days of Sale That’s a 14-hour window.
Sunday is tighter. Liquor stores can only sell between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 340A.504 – Hours and Days of Sale Sunday off-sale was prohibited entirely until 2017, and the seven-hour window reflects that recent expansion. Plan ahead if you need a bottle for Sunday dinner.
Bar and Restaurant Hours
On-sale establishments — bars, restaurants, clubs, hotels — can serve alcohol from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. the following morning, Monday through Saturday.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 340A.504 – Hours and Days of Sale Expect a last call shortly before 2:00 a.m.
Sunday on-sale has conditions. A restaurant, club, bowling center, or hotel with at least 30 seats can serve alcohol with food from 8:00 a.m. Sunday until 2:00 a.m. Monday. Two conditions apply: the establishment needs a separate Sunday license (up to $200 per year), and the city or town must have authorized Sunday on-sale licenses through a voter-approved measure.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 340A.504 – Hours and Days of Sale Most urban areas authorized this long ago; some smaller towns have not.
Grocery Stores, Convenience Stores, and Gas Stations
Minnesota remains the last state that limits grocery stores, convenience stores, and gas stations to 3.2 percent malt liquor (measured by weight). For full-strength beer, wine, or spirits, you have to go to a liquor store.
Sales of 3.2 percent beer are prohibited between 2:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, the restricted period runs from 2:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 340A.504 – Hours and Days of Sale There’s no early Sunday evening cutoff for these retailers — they can sell 3.2 percent beer until 2:00 a.m.
Holiday Closures
Liquor stores must close entirely on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve, off-sale must stop by 8:00 p.m.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 340A.504 – Hours and Days of Sale
These rules apply only to off-sale. Bars and restaurants are not subject to the same holiday closures under this statute, so you can still order a drink at an open bar on Thanksgiving or Christmas. The Christmas Eve cutoff is the one that catches people out most often: if you want a bottle for dinner, buy it before 8:00 p.m.
Local Rules Can Be Stricter
The hours above are state maximums, not guarantees. Cities and counties can adopt ordinances with earlier closing times or additional limits. A municipality might require bars to stop serving at 1:00 a.m. instead of 2:00 a.m., and that local rule controls.2Minnesota House of Representatives. The 2:00 a.m. On-Sale Closing Hour and Other Liquor Law Changes Some towns that had a 1:00 a.m. closing ordinance when the state moved to 2:00 a.m. in 2003 never repealed it.
Local governments cannot go the other direction; no city can allow on-sale alcohol later than the 2:00 a.m. state ceiling. If you’re in a smaller Minnesota community, check the city website or call the municipal clerk before assuming the state maximum applies.