A customer sets a six-pack on the counter at 12:05 a.m. on a Tuesday. Can you ring it up? In Texas, no. The legal window closed five minutes ago.
Texas sets the hours for alcohol sales in state law. They change with the day of the week and the type of business. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, or TABC, enforces them. If you sell or serve, the clock is part of your job. This guide walks through the hours in plain words.
Hours for bars and restaurants
Bars and restaurants are "on-premise" businesses. That means customers drink on site. TABC lists the standard hours in its frequently asked questions about hours of sale:
- Monday through Friday: 7 a.m. to midnight
- Saturday: 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday morning
- Sunday: noon to midnight
Sunday has one exception. You may serve a drink between 10 a.m. and noon when it is sold along with food. A mimosa with a brunch plate at 10:30 is fine. A mimosa alone at 10:30 is not.
Late hours until 2 a.m.
Some Texas cities and counties allow late hours. In those places, a business that holds a late-hours permit can sell drinks until 2 a.m. any night of the week. Both parts must be true. The area has to allow late hours, and the business has to hold the permit.
New on the job? Ask your manager which hours apply to you. Do not guess based on what the bar down the street does.
Hours for grocery and convenience stores
Stores that sell beer and wine to go are "off-premise" businesses. Their hours match bar hours on most days, with an earlier start on Sunday:
- Monday through Friday: 7 a.m. to midnight
- Saturday: 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday morning
- Sunday: 10 a.m. to midnight
Sunday morning trips up many new clerks. Before 10 a.m., beer and wine stay on the shelf. Some registers block alcohol sales during closed hours, and some do not. A register that lets the sale go through does not make it legal, so look at the clock before you scan.
Hours for liquor stores
Liquor stores, which the law calls package stores, have the shortest hours. They may sell from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. They are closed every Sunday.
State law also closes them on three holidays: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. When Christmas or New Year's Day lands on a Sunday, they must stay closed the next Monday too.
The 15-minute rule for last drinks
Stopping sales on time is half the job. Customers also have to stop drinking, and the law gives them 15 minutes to finish.
Chapter 105 of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code sets the cutoff. In a standard-hours area, nobody may drink in a public place after 12:15 a.m. on most nights. After a Saturday night, the cutoff is 1:15 a.m. Sunday morning. In a late-hours area, it is 2:15 a.m. every night. A bar or restaurant counts as a public place under this rule.
So plan last call with the 15 minutes in mind. Leave time to pour, serve and pick up every glass before the cutoff. A customer still sipping at 12:20 a.m. is breaking the law, and the business can be charged for allowing it.
What the law says about selling after hours
Selling alcohol during closed hours is a crime in Texas. So is letting people drink at your business during closed hours. Section 105.10 of the code makes each one a Class A misdemeanor, which is a criminal charge.
The customer can be charged as well. Drinking in a public place after the cutoff is a Class C misdemeanor. One late sale can mean trouble for more than one person.
Holiday dates to know for 2026
The holiday season is close. Liquor stores in Texas must be closed on:
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26, 2026
- Christmas Day: Friday, December 25, 2026
- New Year's Day: Friday, January 1, 2027
None of the three falls on a Sunday this season, so the extra Monday closing does not apply.
The holiday closings apply to liquor stores. Grocery and convenience stores can sell beer and wine during their normal hours on those days. Bars and restaurants keep their normal hours too.
New Year's Eve needs a second look. December 31, 2026 is a Thursday. In a standard-hours area, bar and restaurant sales stop at midnight, right as the new year begins. Drinks must be finished by 12:15 a.m. Only a business with late hours can keep serving until 2 a.m. If your bar plans a midnight toast, pour it before the countdown ends.
Simple habits that keep you legal
Learn the hours for your type of business and your area. Post them near the register or behind the bar. Set last call early enough to cover the 15 minutes.
When a customer pushes back, keep it short and friendly. "Sorry, state law says I can't sell right now" works well. Most people accept that and move on.
Hours are one piece of selling alcohol the right way in Texas. Checking IDs matters just as much. So does watching for signs that a customer has had too much. If it has been a while since your last training, the weeks before the holidays are a good time for a refresher.
This article is general information, not legal advice. For a question about your own business, contact TABC or a licensed attorney.
