A few years ago, a friend had a medical crisis just before Christmas. He was hospitalized but needed one last gift and asked if I could stop by the store on my way home and pick up a specific bottle of wine.

But at the checkout counter, the bottle wouldn’t scan. “You can’t buy this,” the clerk said. “It’s after midnight.” I’d missed the cutoff by one minute.

Retail stores and other venues in Texas have strict rules dictating when they must stop selling alcohol, and they differ based on the type of alcohol you’re looking to purchase.

Here is a quick summary for when alcohol is sold in Texas:

Alcohol Type	Stores	Bars / Restaraunts
Beer / Wine	Mon-Fri: 7am-midnight Sat: 7am-1 am Sun: 10am-midnight	Mon-Fri: 7am-2am Sat: 7am-2am Sun: 10 am-2am*
Liquor	Mon-Fri: 10am-9pm Sat: 10am-9pm Sun: No Sales	Mon-Fri: 7am-2am Sat: 7am-2am Sun: 10 am-2am*

When Can You Buy Alcohol in Texas?

Alcohol is more broadly defined, including all types of alcoholic beverages. Hours differ depending on the item you want to purchase and whether it’s served for on-premise consumption (restaurants, bars) or off-premise (grocery and convenience stores). 

Hours can also vary by city or county. Four Texas counties don’t allow alcohol sales at all.

Grocery and Convenience Stores 

Retail stores have an off-premises beer/wine license or permit, meaning they can only sell beer and wine that will be consumed elsewhere. They do not sell liquor.

• Monday through Friday: 7 a.m. to midnight
• Saturday: 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday morning
• Sunday: 10 a.m. to  midnight

Restaurants and Bars

These are venues that hold an on-premises license or permit. They can sell any type of alcoholic beverage (including liquor) as long as it will be consumed on-site. Certain bars or restaurants may serve until 2 a.m. any night of the week if they have a “late hours” permit. Otherwise, they can sell from:

• Monday through Friday: 7 a.m. to midnight
• Saturday: 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday morning 
• Sunday: 10 a.m. to noon with food service, otherwise noon to midnight

Hotel Bars

Hotel bars can serve registered guests 24/7. To be considered a “bar,” a hotel must have a regular dining room frequented daily by customers. If a hotel doesn’t meet the state’s criteria, it will be limited to the same sales hours as restaurants and bars.

Wineries

• Texas wineries must have a different type of permit that allows them to sell wine to consumers for on- or off-premise consumption and conduct off-premise deliveries to consumers. They are allowed to operate:
• Monday through Saturday: 8 a.m. to midnight
• Sunday: 10 a.m. to midnight 

Sports Venues, Festivals, Fairs, and Concerts

Licensed or permitted vendors located at sports venues, festivals, fairs, and concert venues can sell alcohol on-premises during the following hours:

• Monday through Friday: 7 a.m. to midnight
• Saturday: 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday morning
• Sunday: 10 a.m. to midnight

Texas Doesn’t Sell Liquor on Sundays and Major Holidays

Liquor refers to distilled alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, vodka, rum, gin, tequila, and brandy. Liquor stores must hold a permit to sell liquor for off-premise consumption.

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, Chapter 105 prohibits selling liquor on:

• Sundays
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day
• New Year’s Day
• If any of those holidays falls on a Sunday, sales also are banned the following Monday

It also restricts the hours liquor can be sold to Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

READ MORE: Alcohol laws in Texas

Why Won’t Texas Sell Liquor on Sundays?

Texas still doesn’t sell liquor on Sundays because of “blue laws.” Blue laws are legislation typically based on religious principles to enforce moral standards, such as restricting or banning certain Sunday activities. 

Over time, many blue laws are being phased out. Though Texas’ laws regarding alcohol sales have been relaxed, now allowing for extended alcohol sales on Sundays, in-store sampling events, and sales of alcohol-to-go from bars and restaurants, the Sunday ban on liquor sales has remained.