Full record of states limiting alcohol gross sales on Thanksgiving

[ad_1] As Thanksgiving arrives as we speak, tens of millions of Individuals will depend on last-minute grocery runs, usually together with a visit for beer, wine, or spirits.

However in lots of elements of the nation, centuries-old laws generally known as "blue legal guidelines" nonetheless prohibit or ban alcohol gross sales on main holidays like Thanksgiving.

Whether or not or not you should buy alcohol relies on the place you reside as a result of every state units its personal guidelines on the place, when, and the way a lot of it may be bought.

Why It Issues Restrictions range broadly by state and even locality, probably upending vacation plans for unprepared customers and highlighting ongoing debates over the position of such legal guidelines in fashionable society.

Understanding which states uphold these guidelines helps shoppers keep away from inconvenient surprises and underscores the lasting influence of historic laws on up to date commerce.

<img id="11120103" alt="" caption="Indianapolis - August 16, 2023: Liquor store offering a variety of Fine Wines and Cold Beer. Display neon for Corona, Budweiser, Becks and Victoria beers." captionoverride="Liquor store offering a variety of fine wines and cold beer in Indianapolis, August 16, 2023" credit="" sourcealt="" sources="[]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="6960" height="4640" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" src="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-1754598797_a9a31b.jpg?w=640&quality=80&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-1754598797_a9a31b.jpg?w=750&quality=80&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-1754598797_a9a31b.jpg?w=1000&quality=80&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-1754598797_a9a31b.jpg?w=1200&quality=80&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-1754598797_a9a31b.jpg?w=1360&quality=80&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-1754598797_a9a31b.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1 1600w" bad-src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-1754598797_a9a31b.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1"/> What To Know Blue legal guidelines are state and native laws, initially meant to implement spiritual observance on Sundays and main holidays, that restrict sure business actions.

First enacted by Puritans, they restricted actions like alcohol gross sales, searching, and even automobile purchases on dates together with Thanksgiving.

Named after the blue paper they have been printed on, these legal guidelines have been upheld by the Supreme Court docket as selling a uniform day of relaxation.

Most states have since repealed or ignored them—California and Oregon, for instance, now not implement blue legal guidelines, with California’s Supreme Court docket ruling them unconstitutional for imposing spiritual observance.

Whereas many of those legal guidelines have been relaxed or repealed over the a long time, a shocking quantity stay in impact on holidays akin to Thanksgiving.

In keeping with VinePair, restrictions vary from outright bans on all alcohol gross sales to partial limitations that depend upon beverage kind or retailer class.

Even in states allowing vacation gross sales, privately owned liquor shops might select to shut to spend the vacations with their households, and native ordinances can additional prohibit entry.

Full Checklist of States Limiting Alcohol Gross sales Alabama: All retail alcohol shops shall be closed on Thanksgiving, in accordance with the state’s ABC Board. Connecticut: No off-premises alcohol gross sales of any sort, per the state’s Division of Client Safety. Delaware: No off-premises alcohol retail gross sales, in accordance with The Delaware On-line Code. District of Columbia State-owned shops are closed on Thanksgiving, however you should buy alcohol from personal shops. Georgia: Bundle shops keep open on Thanksgiving, and alcohol gross sales are authorized statewide, although a number of counties ban them on Turkey Day. Name your native retailer to verify hours. Idaho: Gross sales of laborious liquor are banned from state-run shops, in accordance with the state’s legislature, however you possibly can nonetheless purchase beer and wine, and a metropolis or county should still enable the sale of any alcohol by ordinance. Kansas: Whole ban on Thanksgiving, in accordance with its Division of Income. Gross sales are banned on Thanksgiving for many retailers, akin to retail liquor shops and CMB off-premises retailers. Kentucky: There could also be some personal shops open, however there are some counties that prohibit alcohol gross sales on Thanksgiving, in accordance with VinePair. Louisiana: Some parishes ban alcohol gross sales on Thanksgiving. Name your native liquor retailer to verify, per VinePair. Maine: You may solely purchase alcohol so long as the retailer is not any greater than 5,000 sq. ft, in accordance with the state legislature. Massachusetts: It's forbidden to promote alcohol on Thanksgiving, in accordance with the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Management Fee, as a result of one of many state's final surviving blue legal guidelines. Minnesota: Whole ban on Thanksgiving, in accordance with the Minnesota Division of Public Security. Mississippi: Wine, beer, and spirits are banned as a result of state's "blue legal guidelines," which prohibit the sale of alcohol on Thanksgiving Day. Montana: Beer and wine are bought in supermarkets and comfort shops, however liquor gross sales are banned. A pending invoice (Home Invoice 867) would enable liquor shops to open on Sundays and holidays if signed into regulation. Nevada: You should buy alcohol right here except you're in a "dry" space. However these cities are very small areas. New Hampshire: All NH Liquor & Wine Retailers are closed as a result of state's coverage of prohibiting gross sales on these particular days in government-run liquor shops. New Jersey: New Jersey nonetheless has about 30 municipalities the place alcohol gross sales are banned—a holdover from the temperance period. North Carolina: You should buy beer and wine, however not liquor, on Thanksgiving, per the Information & Observer. North Dakota: Whole ban on Thanksgiving, per KFYR. Ohio: You may’t purchase spirituous liquor (bottles over 42 proof) on Thanksgiving Day. Oklahoma: Retail liquor shops are closed, however some prepackaged wines and beers can be found at grocery and comfort shops, in accordance with The Oklahoman. Oregon: Some personal, non-state-controlled shops could be open on Thanksgiving, in accordance with the Liquor Management Fee, as a result of state-controlled shops are usually closed on public holidays. Pennsylvania: Liquor shops managed by the state shall be closed for the vacations, in accordance with the Liquor Management Board. This aligns with the coverage of state-owned shops, which shut on public holidays—in contrast to some privately owned shops that will keep open. Rhode Island: Whole ban on retail gross sales of alcohol on Thanksgiving Day as a result of "blue legal guidelines," per the Division of Enterprise Regulation. Tennessee: You should buy beer, however not wine, and all liquor shops will shut. Texas: You may’t purchase liquor, however grocery shops can promote prepackaged wine and beer, per The Caller Instances. Utah: All state-controlled shops shall be closed on Thanksgiving, in accordance with the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Providers. Shoppers can purchase beer with an ABV (alcohol by quantity) of as much as 5.0 % at supermarkets. Virginia: State-controlled shops shut for the vacations. However some personal shops should still promote alcohol. States akin to California and Illinois typically allow alcohol purchases on Thanksgiving, with most restrictions eradicated, though retailer closures and native guidelines should still apply, NBC Palm Springs studies.

What Folks Are Saying Jon Hurst, president of the Massachusetts Retailers Affiliation, mentioned: "Blue legal guidelines go means, means again. Blue legal guidelines have been chipped away at for many years, however…Thanksgiving, Christmas by no means went any additional."

Democratic Consultant Roland Lemar of New Haven, chair of Connecticut’s Common Legal guidelines Committee, mentioned: "It is an old-school blue regulation that not that many states nonetheless abide by. I've heard from package deal retailer house owners, of us who're like, 'Simply give us the time off. We do not need to need to go in on Thanksgiving.'"

Jean Cronin, government director of the Connecticut Bundle Shops Affiliation, mentioned: "These are small companies with households, they usually wish to benefit from the holidays identical to everybody else."

What Occurs Subsequent The way forward for blue legal guidelines stays unsure. A number of makes an attempt have been made to amend or repeal vacation alcohol gross sales bans, however legislative curiosity has typically been restricted. As an example, a invoice launched in Massachusetts to permit Thanksgiving alcohol gross sales didn't attain a vote in 2025, per The Boston Globe.