Missouri's Sunday Beer Buying Laws Explained

Missouri has some of the most permissive alcohol laws in the United States. The state has a largely laissez-faire approach to alcohol regulation, with no dry jurisdictions. Missouri's alcohol laws have historically been this way, with voters rejecting prohibition in three separate initiative elections in the early 20th century. While Missouri has an entire state agency dedicated to enforcing laws on how alcohol is sold, distributed, marketed, and consumed, the state has no specific state limitations on where alcohol can be sold off-premises. As a result, grocery stores, drug stores, and gas stations across the state sell beer, wine, and liquor. Missouri also permits the sale of alcohol on Sundays, with businesses able to sell alcoholic beverages from 6 a.m. on Sunday to 1:30 a.m. on Monday.

Missouri's alcohol laws are among the most permissive in the US

During the height of the temperance movement in the 19th and 20th centuries, Missouri never implemented its own statewide prohibition. Voters in Missouri rejected prohibition in three separate initiative elections in 1910, 1912, and 1918. When temperance crusader Carrie A. Nation entered a bar in Kansas City in 1901 and began smashing liquor bottles, she was promptly arrested and fined $500, which the judge agreed to waive as long as she agreed to leave Missouri and never return. Although the Missouri General Assembly did ratify the 18th Amendment in 1919, this was only after it had already received enough ratifications to become part of the Constitution.

During Prohibition, political boss Tom Pendergast ensured that the national prohibition law would not affect Kansas City's liquor industry and saloons. Kansas City's federal prosecutor, who was on Pendergast's payroll, never brought a felony prosecution under the Volstead Act, so prohibition did not affect the city. This led the editor of the Omaha World-Herald to comment, "If you want to see some sin, forget about Paris. Go to Kansas City."

In 1934, Missouri enacted its first Liquor Control Law, which repealed local laws and gave the state its first statewide control of liquor. Today, Missouri has no dry jurisdictions. Before 1934, many Missouri cities, including St. Louis and Kansas City, had banned Sunday liquor sales. The original 1934 Liquor Control Law prohibited Sunday sales of beverages with more than 5% alcohol by volume, but this restriction was lifted in 1975.

In 2013, the "Freedom in the 50 States" study ranked Missouri third in the nation in alcohol freedom, noting that its "alcohol regime is one of the least restrictive in the United States, with no blue laws and taxes well below average." Missouri has no specific state limitations on the places where alcohol may be sold "off-premises", so it is famous in the region for grocery stores, drug stores, and even gas stations that sell a wide variety of beer, wine, and liquor. As long as it is not located within 100 feet of a school or church, virtually any retail business that obtains the proper licenses may sell any type of alcohol. State law even forbids cities and counties from banning the off-premises sale of alcohol.

Missouri has no state open container laws, which it shares only with the states of Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Mississippi, Virginia, and West Virginia. Any non-driving vehicle passenger is permitted to possess an open container and consume alcohol in Missouri while the vehicle is in motion, although 31 smaller municipalities, including Columbia, Independence, and St. Charles, have local open container laws. The metropolises of St. Louis and Kansas City have no local open container laws, so state law governs. This means that a passenger can drink legally through a 250-mile trip across Missouri on Interstate 70 between Downtown Kansas City and Downtown St. Louis, only closing the container while passing through the city limits of Independence, Bates City, Columbia, Foristell, and St. Charles.

Missouri is also one of only six states (along with Georgia, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, and Pennsylvania) which has no state law prohibiting drinking in public, although an establishment selling liquor by the drink may not permit a patron to take unfinished liquor off the premises. Restaurant and winery patrons may, however, take unfinished bottles of wine out of the restaurant or winery, as long as the containers are closed and placed in sealed bags.

Missouri has no state public intoxication law, and state law prohibits local jurisdictions from enacting any law "which authorizes or requires arrest or punishment for public intoxication or being a common or habitual drunkard or alcoholic." It is a misdemeanor to be intoxicated and disorderly or to consume or offer any alcoholic beverage in any school, church, or courthouse. Consumption and offering in courthouses are permitted at social functions after business hours when authorized by the court.

Despite the lack of a general state law prohibiting drinking in public, nearly all municipalities, including St. Louis and Kansas City, do prohibit drinking in public. However, St. Louis allows picnickers in public parks to consume alcohol without limitation.

Missouri's alcohol laws are largely dictated by its position as the leading alcohol-producing state in the country

Missouri's laissez-faire approach to alcohol regulation stems from its position as the leading alcohol-producing state in America. Well-known for wine production in the Missouri Rhineland and for beer production in St. Louis by Anheuser-Busch, which produces Budweiser, Missouri has always had among the most permissive alcohol laws in the United States. It has never enacted statewide prohibition. Missouri voters rejected prohibition in three separate referendums in 1910, 1912, and 1918. Alcohol regulation did not begin in Missouri until 1934.

Missouri's original 1934 Liquor Control Law prohibited Sunday sales of beverages with more than 5% alcohol by volume, but this restriction was lifted entirely in 1975. In 2021, Missouri limited the hours of retail alcohol sales on Sundays to between 1:30 AM and 6:30 AM, for an additional license fee. In 2024, Missouri lifted its limits on Sunday booze sales, allowing businesses to sell alcohol from 6 am on Sundays until 1:30 am, aligning the day with the hours in place for sales during the rest of the week.

Missouri has no specific state limitations on the places where alcohol may be sold "off-premises" (i.e. for consumption elsewhere). As a result, Missouri is famous in the region for grocery stores, drug stores, and even gas stations throughout the state that sell a wide variety of beer, wine, and liquor. As long as it is not located within 100 feet (30 m) of a school or church, virtually any retail business may sell any type of alcohol. State law even forbids a local option and prohibits cities and counties from banning the off-premises sale of alcohol.

Missouri also has a growing science, agricultural technology, and biotechnology field related to alcohol production. Monsanto, formerly one of the largest biotech companies in America, was based in St. Louis until it was acquired by Bayer AG in 2018. It is now part of the Crop Science Division of Bayer Corporation, Bayer's U.S. subsidiary. Missouri actively promotes its rapidly growing wine industry. According to the Missouri Partnership, Missouri's agriculture industry, including wine production, contributes $33 billion in GDP to Missouri's economy and generates over 378,000 jobs.

Missouri's alcohol laws have been influenced by Anheuser-Busch, the producer of Budweiser

Missouri's alcohol laws are among the most permissive in the United States. The state is known for its laissez-faire approach to alcohol regulation, which stands in contrast to the stricter alcohol laws of neighbouring states like Kansas and Oklahoma. Missouri's relaxed stance on alcohol regulation is partly due to its position as the leading alcohol-producing state in America, with wine production in the Missouri Rhineland and beer production in St. Louis by Anheuser-Busch, the producer of Budweiser. Anheuser-Busch has been the principal advocate of keeping Missouri's alcohol laws lax and has successfully opposed efforts to restrict alcohol sales and consumption.

Historically, Missouri has always had permissive alcohol laws. During the temperance movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Missouri never implemented statewide prohibition, and voters rejected prohibition in three separate initiative elections in 1910, 1912, and 1918. When temperance crusader Carrie A. Nation entered a bar in Kansas City in 1901 and began smashing liquor bottles, she was promptly arrested and fined, and ordered to leave the state. While the Missouri General Assembly did eventually ratify the 18th Amendment, it only did so after it had already received enough ratifications to become part of the Constitution.

During Prohibition, political boss Tom Pendergast ensured that the national prohibition law did not affect Kansas City's liquor industry and saloons. Kansas City's federal prosecutor, who was on Pendergast's payroll, never brought any felony prosecutions under the Volstead Act, effectively allowing Kansas City to continue its liquor trade uninterrupted. This led to the editor of the Omaha World-Herald to remark, "If you want to see some sin, forget about Paris. Go to Kansas City."

An 1857 Missouri statute left liquor regulation to local authorities, and by the end of nationwide prohibition in 1934, half of Missouri's counties had gone dry. However, the state quickly enacted its first Liquor Control Law, which established statewide control over liquor sales for the first time. This law prohibited Sunday sales of beverages with more than 5% alcohol by volume, but this restriction was lifted in 1975.

Today, Missouri has no dry jurisdictions, and alcohol can be purchased at grocery stores, gas stations, and similar businesses with the proper permits. The state has no specific limitations on the places where alcohol can be sold "off-premises," and it even forbids local jurisdictions from banning the off-premises sale of alcohol. Missouri also has no open container law for vehicles, no state law prohibiting drinking in public, and no state public intoxication law.

Anheuser-Busch has successfully lobbied to maintain these permissive alcohol laws in Missouri. For example, the company opposed the creation of an open container law for passengers in vehicles, and Missouri remains one of only seven states without such a law. Anheuser-Busch has also lobbied against bills that would have created open container regimens to satisfy federal law and avoid losing a portion of its federal highway funds.

In addition, Anheuser-Busch has influenced specific alcohol laws in Missouri. For instance, the company sought a bill that allowed the sale of single 12-ounce bottles of beer at grocery and liquor stores, which was signed into law in 2015. This bill eliminated a restriction that required a package of malt liquor to contain at least three standard bottles. Anheuser-Busch also supported a bill that allowed patrons of entertainment districts in downtown Kansas City to carry open containers of alcohol throughout the district, as long as the beverage was in a plastic cup with the logo of the establishment where it was purchased.

In summary, Anheuser-Busch, the producer of Budweiser, has been a significant influence on Missouri's alcohol laws. The company has successfully lobbied to keep the state's alcohol laws permissive and has opposed efforts to restrict alcohol sales and consumption. Anheuser-Busch has also influenced specific laws related to open containers and single-bottle sales, helping to shape Missouri's alcohol regulations to align with its business interests.

Missouri has no dry counties

During the height of the temperance movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Missouri never implemented its own statewide prohibition. In fact, voters in Missouri rejected prohibition in three separate initiative elections in 1910, 1912, and 1918. When temperance crusader Carrie A. Nation entered a bar in Kansas City in 1901 and began smashing liquor bottles with her hatchet, she was promptly fined and told to leave the state.

While Missouri has no dry counties, it does have some alcohol regulations in place. For example, Missouri limits the hours of retail alcohol sales to between 1:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and for an additional license fee, between 1:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. on Sundays.

In addition, Missouri has no state open container laws, which means that passengers in vehicles are permitted to possess and consume open containers of alcohol while the vehicle is in motion. However, 31 smaller municipalities, including Columbia, Independence, and St. Charles, have local open container laws.

Missouri also has no state public intoxication law, and state law prohibits local jurisdictions from enacting any law that punishes public intoxication. However, it is a misdemeanor to be both intoxicated and disorderly or to consume or offer alcoholic beverages in schools, churches, or courthouses.

Missouri's alcohol laws have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic

Missouri's alcohol laws have been among the most permissive in the United States, with a largely laissez-faire approach to alcohol regulation. This stems from its position as the leading alcohol-producing state in America, known for its wine production in the Missouri Rhineland and beer production in St. Louis by Anheuser-Busch.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Missouri, like many other states, placed restrictions on in-person bars and restaurants to curb the spread of the virus. While these measures impacted on-premise alcohol sales, the state also introduced provisions to boost alcohol sales, such as to-go drinks, which were made permanent in May 2021.

• To-Go Drinks: The Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) relaxed its rules to allow businesses to sell to-go drinks along with food. This provision was made permanent in May 2021 with the passing of SB 126, which included rules such as limiting to-go drinks to two per meal and requiring sealed containers with a label stating, "THIS BEVERAGE CONTAINS ALCOHOL."
• Sunday Sales: Prior to the pandemic, Sunday alcohol sales in Missouri were limited to 9 a.m. to midnight. However, the new laws allow alcohol to be sold from 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Sundays, aligning with the hours for the rest of the week.
• Liquor Permits for Non-Profit Organizations: Religious, civic, fraternal, and other non-profit organizations are now permitted to sell liquor starting at 6 a.m. at events.
• Expanded Availability: The pandemic provisions expanded the availability of alcohol in Missouri, making it easier for businesses to recover through alcohol sales.
• Permanent Changes: Many of the COVID-19 provisions were made permanent with the passing of SB 126 in the Missouri State Senate, praised by lawmakers as a way to support small businesses and the tourism sector.

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