What Time Do They Sell Beer in California: 6 AM–2 AM and Penalties

In California, beer is sold from 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM, seven days a week, with no separate schedule for Sundays or holidays. The same hours apply at bars, restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, and liquor stores, and they cover wine and spirits too. The rule comes from California Business and Professions Code Section 25631.¹

The 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM Rule

Section 25631 draws a hard line: no alcoholic beverages can be sold, given, or delivered between 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM. Every retail license is covered. Whether a bar holds an on-sale license for drinks consumed on-site or a market holds an off-sale license for bottles taken home, the window is the same. Beer, wine, and spirits are treated identically, and Sunday is treated like any other day.¹

The law reaches the buyer too. Knowingly purchasing alcohol during the prohibited hours is itself a misdemeanor, so the responsibility runs both ways.²

You Cannot Keep Drinking After 2:00 AM

A beer you already paid for does not get an extension. Section 25632 makes it a separate misdemeanor for a retail licensee or employee to let anyone consume alcohol on the premises during hours when sales are prohibited. Bartenders have to clear drinks at closing, not just stop pouring new ones.³

What Happens on Daylight Saving Weekends

On the two nights a year when clocks change, California defines 2:00 AM as exactly two hours after midnight. In the spring, the bar closes at what the new clock reads as 3:00 AM, which gives patrons an extra real-time hour. In the fall, closing still lands two hours after midnight, so the repeated 2:00 AM on the turned-back clock does not add a bonus hour.⁴

Delivery Follows the Same Clock

Ordering beer through a delivery app does not buy you extra time. The 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM restriction covers delivery, not just the in-store transaction. A driver handing over a six-pack at 2:15 AM would put both the retailer and the delivery operation on the wrong side of Section 25631. Most major delivery platforms cut off alcohol orders well before 2:00 AM to leave room for transit.¹

Your City or County May Be Stricter

The state hours are a ceiling, not a guarantee. Cities and counties can impose tighter restrictions through zoning rules and conditional use permits attached to individual liquor licenses. A specific bar or convenience store might be required to stop selling at midnight as a condition of its operating permit, especially in residential areas or places with a history of complaints. These local conditions are enforceable. To confirm hours at a particular store, you can check ABC’s online license lookup, which shows the conditions on each license.⁵

Penalties if the Rule Is Broken

Selling, giving, or knowingly buying alcohol outside the legal window is a misdemeanor. The standard California misdemeanor penalty is up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.⁶

For the business, the bigger risk is the license itself. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control can file a formal accusation that leads to suspension or revocation. For shorter suspensions, a licensee can sometimes pay a monetary fine instead of closing, calculated as 50 percent of estimated gross alcohol receipts during the suspension period.⁷

1
California Legislative Information. California Code Business and Professions Code 25631 – Hours of Sale and Delivery of Alcoholic Beverages
2
California Legislative Information. California Code BPC 25631 – Alcoholic Beverages
3
California Legislative Information. California Code BPC 25632 – After-Hours Consumption
4
Alcoholic Beverage Control. Hours of Sale
5
Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
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California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 19 – Misdemeanor Punishment
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California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Frequently Asked Questions