Texas has 12 Weird Laws for Buying and Selling Liquor in the State

Buying alcohol in Texas can be a bit of a trick sometimes. There are certain days you can't buy it, there are certain times it must be bought between, it can be a mess for both buyer and seller. These laws are not put in place by an individual or an individual business, these laws are put in place by the Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, or TABC for short, with some Texas cities imposing even stricter alcohol laws. While Texas is known to have a rebellious reputation, the laws around alcohol, specifically liquor, are not so rebellious. Let's take a look at some of the weirdest Texas alcohol laws.

Get our free mobile app

When to Buy Alcohol in Texas

Texas does have general laws around the sell of alcohol either in a bar or restaurant or from a store to consume at home. Thing is, individual cities can pass their own ordinances in regards to alcohol sales as long as they are within the state's laws. For instance, in Tyler, Sunday through Friday, bars and restaurants can served alcohol until midnight. On Saturday, that time is extended to 1 a.m. But if you go to Longview, bars and restaurants can serve until 2 a.m. no matter the night. So weird.

Smith County and Liquor

It wasn't until the early 2010s that you could buy beer or wine from a store within Smith County. Before that, you had to drive across county lines to do so. Since that time, Smith county cities like Troup, Arp and Winona voted to sell liquor in stores. You would think as big as Tyler is, they would approve the sale of liquor within the city limits but I guess it will take another 80 years to allow it.

Texas Alcohol Laws

Texas alcohol laws are some of the strictest in the country. You can't sell liquor on Sundays. You can only buy it from a store between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. There are certain holidays that liquor cannot be sold on. Cities that can't sell liquor for home consumption allow it for sale in bars and restaurants. It's all strange and confusing sometimes. So check out 12 weird laws around the sale of alcohol in Texas below: