Texas · County
Ward County alcohol laws
| Status | |
|---|---|
| Beer to go | Sold county-wide |
| Wine to go | Sold county-wide |
| Liquor to go | Sold county-wide |
| Beer at a bar | Sold county-wide |
| Wine at a bar | Sold county-wide |
| Mixed drinks | Varies by precinct |
| Mixed drinks with food | Not sold |
| Winery tasting room | Not sold |
Rules change at county and precinct lines
Ward County is not uniform inside its own borders, and Texas does not publish its precinct boundaries, so the location check is the only way to resolve a specific address.
- Status
- Partially wet
- Categories sold
- 6 of 8
- Varies by precinct
- 1 of 6 category
What the designation says
The TABC publishes Ward County’s county-level status as W: B-On, B-Off, W-On, W-Off; DS-Off; PW: MB, which is partially wet covering 6 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 partially wet means in Ward County
Partially wet does not mean half the categories, it means the county has never voted one status for all of itself. Inside Ward County, individual justice-of-the-peace precincts and incorporated cities carry their own designations, and the categories marked varies by precinct above are approved in some of those areas and not in others. Crossing a precinct line can change the answer without any sign telling you so.
A county answer is not an address answer
This page states Ward 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.
3 other counties have identical rules
Same county-level designation as Ward County, category for category.
Common questions
- Is Ward County wet or dry?
- Ward County is partially wet. Some categories are approved and some are not, and among the approved ones the answer can still change between justice-of-the-peace precincts inside the county.
- Can you buy beer to take home in Ward County?
- Yes, county-wide. Stores in Ward 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 Ward County?
- Yes. Package stores are permitted throughout Ward County. They open at 10 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and stay closed all day Sunday.
- Can you order a cocktail in Ward County?
- In parts of Ward County. Mixed beverages are approved in some areas and not others, which is why a bar can pour a cocktail in one precinct and the bar a few miles away cannot.
- Do neighboring counties have the same rules as Ward County?
- Not necessarily neighbors, but 3 other Texas counties carry exactly the same county-level designation as Ward County, including Karnes, Lee, Reeves. 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.