Last Call (booze) by State and City (sales, buying)

[nate14ri]

Was curious about last calls in all the 50 states. Here is a little heads up next time your traveling. feel free to comment.


Last call laws vary widely from state to state, and in most states, cities and towns are free to impose more restrictive regulations. Large metropolitan areas with many towns may have different laws for areas that are only a short distance apart. The following lists should not be considered exhaustive.

State specific laws

• Alaska - 5 a.m.; while most cities restrict this further, some do not (primarily smaller Matanuska-Susitna Valley towns), and some villages are dry.
• Arizona - 2 a.m.
• Arkansas - 2 a.m.
• California - Last call statewide is 2 a.m., except San Jose where last drinks are served at 1:30 am, but patrons can remain in the bars until 3am.
• Connecticut - 2 a.m.
• Delaware - 1 a.m.
• Florida - Last call set statewide to 2 a.m., some cities have passed exemptions to the law, notably Tampa (3 a.m.), Broward county (4 a.m.) and Miami (24 hours in the Miami Entertainment District). Liquor store closing times vary by county.
• Georgia - Varies by county (most are set at 2 a.m., while others may have different times or no time at all). In Atlanta most bars are allowed to close at 2:30 a.m., but Underground Atlanta can operate until 4 a.m.
• Idaho - 2 a.m.
• Illinois - Anywhere from 1:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m., varies by county. Some counties can serve 24 hours.
• Iowa - 2 a.m.
• Kansas - 2 a.m. (in the 17 counties which allow bars without limitation)
• Maine - 1 a.m.
• Maryland - 2 a.m.
• Michigan - 2 a.m.
• Minnesota - 1 am in most of the state; 2 a.m. in Minneapolis/St. Paul and certain other areas; Liquor Stores Closed on Sundays, 3.2 beer may be bought in most grocery stores.
• Missouri - 1:30 a.m. in most of the state; 3:00 a.m. in specially-licensed establishments in the two largest metropolises of St. Louis and Kansas City, and their surrounding areas.
• Nebraska - 1 a.m.
• Nevada - There is no closing time; bars may stay open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• New Hampshire - 12:45 a.m.
• New Jersey - While state law is 3 a.m. certain areas on the Jersey shore are considered resort areas and are allowed to serve alcohol up until 5 a.m.
• New York - Last call is 4 a.m. Although the New York State Liquor Authority, pursuant to subdivision eleven of section seventeen, states: where any rule has been adopted in a county on or before April 1st, 1995, further restricting the hours of sale for alcoholic beverages, such restricted hours shall be the hours, during which the sale of alcoholic beverages at retail for on-premises consumption shall not be permitted within such county. Nor shall any person be permitted to consume any alcoholic beverages upon any such premises later than one-half hour after the start of the prohibited hours of sale provided for in this section.
• North Carolina - Last Call is 2 a.m. statewide. On weekdays and Saturday alcohol can be sold beginning at 7 a.m., on Sunday alcohol sales begin at noon.
• Ohio - Last call is 2 a.m. statewide, although establishments may acquire licenses that allow them to serve until 2:30 a.m. Store-bought beer & wine sales stop at 1 a.m. Liquor over 40 proof may only be purchased in state-approved stores - sales stop at 10 p.m.
• Pennsylvania - 2 a.m. in taverns, 3 a.m. in membership-only clubs statewide. Sales may begin as early as 7 a.m. Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board-operated liquor stores (known as "Wine & Spirits Shoppes", or commonly called "state stores") operate various hours, but never open before 9 a.m. and never close later than 10 p.m. About ten percent of state stores, most of which are near the borders of the Commonwealth, are open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Beer distributors must close by 10 p.m. and are not open on Sundays.
• Tennessee - 3 a.m.
• Texas - 2 a.m. Beer and wine via grocery sold until 12 a.m. Sunday to Friday, 1 a.m. on Saturday. Beer and wine can be sold in stores beginning at 7 a.m. Monday to Saturday, 12 p.m. on Sunday. Bars and restaurants may not serve alcohol before 10 a.m. on Sunday. Liquor stores closed on Sunday and cannot open before 10 a.m. or close after 9 p.m. other days.
• Vermont - 2 a.m.
• Virginia - 2 a.m.. Liquor stores (ABC) closed on Sunday, except for a few select stores. Beer and Wine via grocery sold until 12AM.
• Washington - 2 a.m. Liquor stores closed on Sunday, except for a few select stores. Beer and Wine via grocery sold until 2AM.
• Wisconsin - Last call is 2 a.m.. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, last call is 2:30 a.m.

City specific laws

• Albany, NY - 4 a.m.
• Atlanta - 2:30 a.m.; 4:00 a.m. in Underground Atlanta.
• Atlantic City, NJ - 24 hours
• Austin- 2 a.m.
• Bloomington and Normal, Illinois - 1 a.m. on weeknights, 2 a.m. on weekends
• Boston - 2 a.m.
• Buffalo - 4 a.m.
• Champaign, Illinois - 2 a.m.
• Chicago - 3 a.m. on weeknights, 4 a.m. on Saturday nights. A late license can be granted for special events, extending last call to 4 a.m.
• Cleveland - 2:30 a.m.
• Columbus - 2:30 a.m.
• Denver - 2 a.m.
• Florence, South Carolina - 2 a.m. for hard liquor, 3 a.m. for beer. This includes Sundays where any bar that is defined as a private club may operate 7 days a week, other wise last call is midnight Saturday night, until the establishment reopens for business on Monday.
• Granite City, IL. - Weeknights 2 a.m. Weekends 3 a.m.
• Indianapolis - 3 a.m.
• Lexington, KY - 2 a.m.
• Louisville - 4 a.m.
• Miami - 5 a.m.; Bars may stay open 24 hours, 7 days a week in the Downtown Entertainment District
• New Orleans - Bars may stay open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
• Pensacola, Florida - 3 a.m. (within city limits, 2 a.m. for county)
• Peoria - 4 a.m.
• Philadelphia - 2 a.m.
• Pittsburgh - 2 a.m.
• Providence - 2 a.m. on Weekends, 1 a.m. on Weeknights
• Rochester, New York - 2 a.m.
• Salt Lake City - 1 a.m.
• San Marcos, Texas - 12 a.m. Sunday through Friday, 1 a.m. Saturday
• St. Louis - 2 a.m. on Weeknights, 3 a.m. on Weekends
• Tampa - 3 a.m.
• Tuscaloosa, Alabama - 2 a.m. Monday-Thursday and Saturday. Not required to close on Friday nights.
• Washington, D.C. - 3:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday night, 2:00 a.m. other nights.

Canada

• British Columbia - Last call is 2:00 a.m. provincially, however municipalities can raise last call up to 4 a.m. if they so choose. People may purchase "off sales" bottled beer and the like from local Pubs until 11:00 p.m.
• Alberta - Last call and sale of alcohol from a store is 2 a.m. province wide.
• Ontario - Last call is 2 a.m. province wide, although the province has the authority to grant waivers to allow closing at 4 a.m. during special events. Alcohol sales occur only within regulated stores which will always close by 10 p.m.
• Quebec - Last call is 3 a.m. province wide for establishments serving alcohol, while the sale of alcohol from a store is restricted after 11 p.m.

[njkate]

New Jersey...municipalities may set their own restrictions so many towns the closing time is 2AM..can be a real PITA if the town next to you closes at 2 and you close @3 because you get all the "foreign" loads coming for a few more

[At1WithNature]

I think it would be funny to see a run down on how Utah treats these matters...

[john_starks]

peoria and albany stay open til 4?

damn, some of these other cities need to step it up

not that i have that kind of stamina anymore

[nate14ri]

i can attest that albany is 4 am. my bf is from there. we went to a bar one time where they closed the door and lights at 4am, but people were still inside being served lol.

his friends call it alcoholbany and crawlbany....

[Go Ne]

You forgot Utah..........

[Lmejh]

If you read down further under city-specific, you see Salt Lake City with 1 am... going off on a tangent here, alcohol is way more easily accessible in our state than people think, but that's stereotypes for you.

[wesside]

Originally Posted by Lmejh

If you read down further under city-specific, you see Salt Lake City with 1 am... going off on a tangent here, alcohol is way more easily accessible in our state than people think, but that's stereotypes for you.

No its not. While last call statewide is 1am, Ive been to places where last call was 12am. Be that as it may however, alcohol is generally accessible, but not way more than people think. While you can purchase beer on any given day there are areas that dont allow it on sundays, and after 12am you're pretty much SOL statewide. Dont get me started on buying liquor, thats a whole other headache with the state. The whole state pretty much treats alcohol consumption like a vice.

On the California -2 am thing though I wouldnt be too sure about that. Ive been to a place or two a while back where they were serving well after that.

[Gtownoe]

In Chicago I've been to bars where you can drink until 5 am. Many other bars serve until 4am.

[DannyBanany]

South Dakota:

Liquor sales end at 11pm
Last call is 2am