Texas · County
Sterling County alcohol laws
| Status | |
|---|---|
| Beer to go | Sold county-wide |
| Wine to go | Sold county-wide |
| Liquor to go | Not sold |
| Beer at a bar | Sold county-wide |
| Wine at a bar | Sold county-wide |
| Mixed drinks | Not sold |
| Mixed drinks with food | Not sold |
| Winery tasting room | Not sold |
Rules change at county and precinct lines
Every category Sterling County allows is allowed county-wide.
- Status
- Wet
- Categories sold
- 4 of 8
- Varies by precinct
- No, county-wide
What the designation says
The TABC publishes Sterling County’s county-level status as W: B-On, B-Off, W-On, W-Off., which is wet covering 4 of the eight categories the commission tracks. Local option elections are held under § 251.72 on individual categories, not on alcohol as a single question, which is why a county can approve beer to take home and refuse bar service in the same vote.
What wet means in Sterling County
Every category Sterling County has approved is approved for the whole county, so the answer does not change as you drive across it. State sale hours still apply, and an individual business can still be narrower than the county, a store choosing not to stock liquor, or a restaurant holding only a beer and wine permit.
A county answer is not an address answer
This page states Sterling County’s county-level rules. The status that governs a specific store or bar is the status of the precinct and city it sits in, which can be narrower than the county line suggests. For a given address, run the location check rather than reading it off a county map.
2 other counties have identical rules
Same county-level designation as Sterling County, category for category.
Common questions
- Is Sterling County wet or dry?
- Sterling County is wet. Every category the county has approved is available across the whole county, subject to the state sale hours that apply everywhere in Texas.
- Can you buy beer to take home in Sterling County?
- Yes, county-wide. Stores in Sterling County may sell sealed beer to go, on the statewide hours: 7 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. on Sunday.
- Are there liquor stores in Sterling County?
- No. Distilled spirits to go is not an approved category in Sterling County, so there are no package stores. Beer or wine may still be sold if those categories are approved.
- Can you order a cocktail in Sterling County?
- No. Neither mixed beverages nor restaurant mixed beverages are approved categories in Sterling County, so no venue there can pour you a cocktail.
- Do neighboring counties have the same rules as Sterling County?
- Not necessarily neighbors, but 2 other Texas counties carry exactly the same county-level designation as Sterling County, including Concho, Loving. County lines are where the rules change, so check before you cross one.
Sources
- Tex. Alco. Bev. Code § 251.71, Local option elections: status of areas
- Tex. Alco. Bev. Code § 251.72, Local option elections: issues to be voted on
- Tex. Alco. Bev. Code § 105.01, Hours of sale: liquor
Last verified . How DrinkLaws checks this.