Buying Beer In Kansas: Early Shopping Hours Explained

Kansas has some of the strictest alcohol laws in the United States. The state had a long period of prohibition, lasting from 1881 to 1948, and continued to prohibit general on-premises liquor sales until 1987. Kansas's strict approach to alcohol is a lingering vestige of its long era of prohibition. The state has a three-tier liquor distribution system, and off-premises liquor sales are only allowed in licensed liquor stores. So, how early can you buy beer in Kansas?

Beer sales timings and locations

Kansas has some of the strictest alcohol laws in the United States. The state had a long period of prohibition, lasting from 1881 to 1948, and continued to prohibit general on-premise liquor sales until 1987.

On-Premise and Off-Premise Beer Sales

Locations

Beer can be purchased in Kansas at various locations, including bars and restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, liquor stores, and breweries or taprooms. However, there are some restrictions to be aware of. Gas stations, convenience stores, and grocery stores can only sell beer with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 6% or lower. Additionally, cereal malt beverage (CMB) retailers require a license from the city or county, so they may not sell beer in certain counties.

Dry Counties

It is important to note that Kansas has a total of three dry counties: Wallace, Stanton, and Haskell, where the sale of alcohol is completely prohibited. Additionally, 63 counties require that 30% of alcohol sales come from food purchases, while the remaining 39 counties do not have this requirement.

Holidays

Beer sales are prohibited on certain holidays, including Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Kansas drinking laws

Kansas has some of the strictest alcohol laws in the United States. The state had a long period of prohibition, lasting from 1881 to 1948, and continued to prohibit general on-premises liquor sales until 1987.

Kansas law divides alcohol into six categories, each with different regulations. These categories are:

• "Alcoholic liquor" – spirits, wine, and beer containing over 3.2% alcohol by weight.
• Spirits – any distilled alcoholic beverage, including brandy, rum, whiskey, and gin, among others.
• "Cereal malt beverage" (CMB) – beer containing less than 3.2% alcohol by weight.
• "Nonalcoholic malt beverage" – beer containing less than 0.5% alcohol by weight.
• "Domestic table wine" – wine containing 14% or less alcohol by volume, manufactured by Kansas farm wineries from Kansas-grown products.
• "Domestic fortified wine" – wine containing between 14% and 20% alcohol by volume, also made in Kansas.
• "Domestic beer" – beer containing 8% or less alcohol by weight, manufactured by microbreweries from Kansas-grown agricultural products.

Where and when can you buy alcohol in Kansas?

Off-premise alcohol sales in Kansas can be made Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 11 pm. On-premise sales can be made from 9 am to 2 am any day.

On Sundays, off-premise locations can sell alcohol from 9 am to 8 pm. On-premise locations can sell from 9 am to 2 am.

Kansas has a three-tier liquor distribution system. Alcohol is distributed from manufacturer to distributor to retailer. The exceptions are that farm wineries and microbreweries may sell directly to the consumer, and establishments may purchase beer and bulk wine directly from wholesalers.

Retail liquor stores are licensed by the state, and CMB retailers are licensed by the city or county.

Dry counties

Kansas has a total of 105 counties, which are divided into three categories: 30% food sales requirement, no food sales requirement, and no alcohol by the drink.

Three of Kansas's counties – Wallace, Stanton, and Haskell – are completely dry, meaning that no alcohol can be purchased there. Sixty-three counties require 30% food sales with the purchase of alcohol, and the remaining 39 do not require an accompanying food purchase.

Drinking laws

The minimum drinking age in Kansas is 21. There is an exception for minors, who can drink beer with parents if they are supervised and the beer is purchased and directly given to them by their parents.

Kansas's maximum blood alcohol level for driving is .08% for persons over the age of 21 and .02% for adults under the age of 21 and minors.

Other laws

• All liquor sales are subject to a 10% "drink tax" on gross receipts.
• Open containers of alcohol are prohibited outside of private buildings and licensed on-premises alcohol sellers. An open container is prohibited inside any motor vehicle, unless it is a licensed limousine or mass-transit vehicle.
• Alcohol cannot be sold on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.

Kansas's history of alcohol prohibition

Kansas has a long history of strict alcohol prohibition laws. Efforts to limit or prohibit the use of intoxicating beverages in the US began in the early 19th century, with local option laws advocated by the 1830s. During the territorial period in Kansas, prohibition became a leading political, social, and moral issue.

The state's first temperance organisation, the Independent Order of Good Templars, was founded in the 1850s. After the Civil War, the Kansas State Temperance Union (KSTU) and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union joined the Good Templars in the struggle for state-wide prohibition. During the administration of Drucilla Wilson, the Kansas WCTU's second president, Kansas became the first state to write prohibition into its constitution.

In 1878, voters elected Republican prohibitionist John St. John as governor. In his inaugural address, the governor called for decisive action to deal with the liquor issue. The legislature responded by passing a constitutional amendment that prohibited "the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors" in the state. It was ratified by a majority of voters in November 1880 and came into effect on 1 May 1881, making Kansas the first state to enact a statewide constitutional prohibition on alcohol.

Kansas had statewide prohibition from 1881 to 1948, longer than any other state. During this period, the temperance movement in Kansas was strengthened by several factors, including the immigration of Puritans to the territory, the association of the movement with the abolitionist cause, and the perception of saloons as divisive in families since they were only open to men.

In 1948, voters approved an amendment to the Kansas Constitution, authorising the legislature to "regulate, license and tax the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquor" and prohibiting the open saloon. This meant that package (off-premises) liquor sales could be authorised and regulated, but the prohibition of sale by the drink in public places (on-premises) continued until 1987.

Kansas's strict and highly regulated approach to alcohol stems from lingering vestiges of its long era of prohibition. As of March 2023, Kansas has one dry county, where on-premises liquor sales are prohibited, but the sale of 3.2% beer is permitted.

Alcohol sales on Sundays

Kansas has some of the strictest alcohol laws in the United States. The state had prohibition from 1881 to 1948, longer than any other state, and continued to prohibit general on-premises liquor sales until 1987.

In 2023, Kansas had a total of three dry counties, where on-premises liquor sales were prohibited, but the sale of 3.2% beer was permitted. The state's remaining 102 counties were divided into three categories: 30% food sales requirement, no food sales requirement, and no alcohol by the drink.

In 2021, Kansas law prohibited Sunday alcohol sales until noon. However, in May of that year, Governor Laura Kelly signed a bill allowing the sale of beer and alcohol from 9 a.m. on Sundays. The law also permanently allowed the sale of to-go and drive-thru alcohol.

The law requires cities and counties to modify their existing ordinances to authorise the Sunday morning sales. Several cities in the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro area amended their laws to allow liquor sales on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In 2023, Kansas lawmakers pushed to change alcohol laws, with the House passing House Bill 2124 with a vote of 97 to 25. The proposal could allow more bars to open on Sundays by removing the requirement that retailers must sell food that makes up at least 30% of their sales to be able to sell alcohol on Sundays.

Alcohol sales on holidays

Kansas has some of the strictest alcohol laws in the United States. The state had a long period of prohibition, lasting from 1881 to 1948, and continued to prohibit general on-premises liquor sales until 1987. The state's strict approach to alcohol regulation is a legacy of this era.

Kansas law divides alcohol into six categories, each with distinct rules for sale and taxation. "Alcoholic liquor" includes spirits, wine, and beer containing over 3.2% alcohol by weight. Spirits include beverages like brandy, rum, whiskey, and gin. A "cereal malt beverage" (CMB) is beer containing less than 3.2% alcohol by weight, and a "nonalcoholic malt beverage" is beer with less than 0.5% alcohol by weight. "Domestic table wine" is wine with 14% or less alcohol by volume, produced by Kansas farm wineries from local ingredients. "Domestic fortified wine" contains between 14% and 20% alcohol by volume, also made in-state. "Domestic beer" is beer with 8% or less alcohol by weight, manufactured by microbreweries using Kansas-grown agricultural products.

In terms of holiday sales, alcohol sales are prohibited on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas in Kansas. On Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, alcohol can be purchased between 9 am and 8 pm, but only in cities or counties where Sunday sales have been expanded. This includes cities in Johnson and Wyandotte counties. Grocery and convenience stores can sell alcoholic beverages on these days, but they cannot exceed 6% alcohol by volume. Restaurants can also sell drinks in tamper-proof, sealed containers until 11 pm.

Kansas's alcohol laws can vary by county and city, and some have stricter rules than others. For instance, as of March 2023, Kansas has one dry county where on-premises liquor sales are prohibited, but the sale of 3.2% beer is allowed. Additionally, 63 of Kansas's 105 counties require 30% food sales with the purchase of alcohol, while the remaining 39 counties have no such requirement.

Frequently asked questions