Texas
What time can you buy liquor in Texas?
Package stores keep the tightest schedule in Texas alcohol law: 55 hours a week, and never on a Sunday.
Package store hours
§ 105.01 sets a single window for the sale of liquor in sealed containers, and it is the same every day the store is allowed to open.
| Day | Legal sale hours |
|---|---|
| Sunday | No sales |
| Monday |
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| Tuesday |
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| Wednesday |
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| Thursday |
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| Friday |
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| Saturday |
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The three closure days
Package stores must close entirely on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. No other holiday closes them — not Easter, not Independence Day, not Memorial Day.
Spirits at a bar or restaurant
None of the above applies to a drink poured for you on the premises. Mixed-beverage service runs under § 105.03 on a much wider schedule, including Sundays and all three package-store holidays.
| Day | Legal sale hours |
|---|---|
| Sunday |
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| Monday |
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| Tuesday |
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| Wednesday |
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| Thursday |
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| Friday |
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| Saturday |
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- 1Sunday sales between 10:00 a.m. and noon require service of food.
In areas that permit extended hours, a venue holding a Late Hours certificate serves until 2:00 a.m. rather than midnight. In many smaller Texas jurisdictions spirits are available only under a restaurant mixed beverage designation, which requires the venue to serve food — there are no standalone bars in those precincts at all.
Buying at the distillery
Under § 105.081, a distillery’s on-premise sales follow mixed-beverage hours while bottles to take home follow package store hours. A distillery tasting room can pour you a cocktail on a Sunday but cannot sell you a sealed bottle to carry out.
What happens if a store sells outside these hours
Selling alcohol during prohibited hours is a Class A misdemeanor under § 105.10, and puts the permit itself at risk.
One practical allowance: A customer who entered the store before 9:00 p.m. may remain a reasonable amount of time to finish shopping and make their purchase. The cutoff governs when you may enter and be served, not the instant you must be out of the door.
Common questions
- What time do liquor stores close in Texas?
- 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. That is the statutory maximum — an individual store may close earlier, but none may sell later.
- Can you buy liquor on Sunday in Texas?
- No. Package stores are closed every Sunday without exception. You can still be served a cocktail at a bar or restaurant on Sunday, from 10 a.m. with food or from noon without.
- What time do liquor stores open in Texas?
- 10 a.m., Monday through Saturday.
- Are liquor stores open on Thanksgiving in Texas?
- No. Texas package stores are closed on Thanksgiving Day, New Year's Day, and Christmas Day.
- Why are Texas liquor stores closed two days in a row sometimes?
- When Christmas Day or New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, Texas package stores must also close the following Monday. They were already closed that Sunday under the weekly rule, so the result is two consecutive days with no liquor sales.
- Can I get a cocktail on Sunday if liquor stores are closed?
- Yes. The Sunday closure applies to package stores selling sealed bottles, not to bars and restaurants. A mixed-beverage venue can serve you from 10 a.m. Sunday with food, and from noon without.
Sources
- Tex. Alco. Bev. Code § 105.01 — Hours of sale: liquor
- Tex. Alco. Bev. Code § 105.03 — Hours of sale: mixed beverages
- Tex. Alco. Bev. Code § 105.081 — Hours of sale: distiller's and rectifier's permit
- Tex. Alco. Bev. Code § 105.06 — Consumption in licensed premises and public places
- Tex. Alco. Bev. Code § 105.10 — Penalty for sale during prohibited hours
Last verified . Statutory text current as of January 1, 2026. How we check this.