If your business sells or serves alcohol then there are many regulations that your business needs to abide by. However, while some rules remain the same across the board (such as not selling alcohol to minors), other regulations are dependent on the type of business. Below, we’ll look specifically at regulations regarding hours of operation for retailers who sell alcohol for off-premises consumption.

What Businesses Are Off-Premises Retailers?

There are several types of TABC permits which may apply to off-premises retailers. These include: the Retail Dealer’s Off-Premise Permit (BF), the permit for businesses that sell malt beverages (i.e. beer and malt beverage seltzers) for off-premises consumption.  Additionally, for those businesses that also sell wine, they may instead have a Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer’s Off-Premise Permit (BQ). Traditional liquor stores, on the other hand, would need to have a Package Store Permit (P) which allows them to sell distilled spirits, malt beverages, and wines.

These permits allow a business to sell alcoholic beverages to a customer under the terms that the customer will consume the beverage somewhere other than within the premises of the business. So, these permits would not apply to bars or restaurants, and instead apply to businesses like liquor stores and grocery stores.

How Are Hours of Operation Regulated?

Depending on the specific type of business that you have your hours of operation will be regulated accordingly. Below, we’ll look at specific business types and the hours of operation they must follow.

Liquor Stores

Liquor stores have strict hours of operation, as they can only be open during hours when it is legal to sell alcoholic beverages. In addition to these hours, there are also special exceptions for additional closures which must be followed.

The hours of operation that a liquor store must follow are as follows: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. They cannot be open earlier or later than this time frame.

Additional exceptions:

  • Alcohol cannot be sold on Sundays, so the business must also be closed on Sunday.
  • Alcohol cannot be sold on certain federal holidays. These are: New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the business must also be closed the following day.

Grocery Stores, Convenience Stores, and Other Types of Off-Premises Retailers

Grocery and convenience stores tend to avoid Package Store Permits, as utilizing other types of permits allow them to follow different hours of operation than liquor stores. For example, while they cannot sell alcoholic beverages outside of the allowed hours, the business itself is still able to remain open and sell other items outside those hours.

The hours that they may sell alcohol are as follows:

  • Monday-Saturday alcohol may be sold between 7AM and Midnight.
  • On Sundays, alcohol may be sold between Midnight to 1AM and between 10AM to Midnight

An important aspect to note is that if your business is open during hours outside of legal hours to sell alcohol, it may help to post a sign for customers informing them of when they can purchase alcohol at your business.

Ultimately, understanding and following regulations involving how and when your business can sell alcoholic beverages is essential to maintaining your permit and avoiding any other penalties.

For more information or assistance with TABC licensing and permits, contact Ranger Licensing at (713) 881-9009