Missouri Beer Buying: Legal Hours Explained

Missouri's alcohol laws are among the most permissive in the United States, with a largely laissez-faire approach to alcohol regulation. In Missouri, you can buy alcohol from 6 am to 1:30 am every day of the year, including Sundays. Some bars and nightclubs with special licenses, mainly in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Lake of the Ozarks, can serve alcohol until 3 am. The state's alcohol laws also allow minors to consume alcohol if it is purchased by a parent or legal guardian and consumed on their private property.

On- and off-premises sales

Missouri's liquor laws allow for on- and off-premises sales from 6 am to 1:30 am every day of the year. On-premises sales refer to drinks purchased in restaurants and bars, while off-premises sales refer to bottles or cans bought at grocery stores, convenience stores, and liquor stores.

Some bars and nightclubs with special licenses, mostly located in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Lake of the Ozarks, can serve alcohol until 3 am. However, in St. Louis and Kansas City, alcohol sales are prohibited between 1:30 am and 6:30 am from Tuesday to Saturday and between midnight on Sunday and 9 am the following morning. These laws changed on August 28, 2021, allowing Sunday hours to align with those of weekdays.

Missouri's alcohol laws are among the most permissive in the United States, with no statewide prohibition and a history of rejecting prohibition in three separate initiative elections in 1910, 1912, and 1918. Today, Missouri has no dry jurisdictions, and alcohol can be purchased seven days a week, including Sundays.

It is important to note that while Missouri's liquor laws provide a general framework, local jurisdictions may have their own regulations. For example, 31 cities in Missouri have banned drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle, and some municipalities may have different laws regarding alcohol sales hours.

Sunday sales

Missouri's approach to alcohol regulation is largely laissez-faire, in contrast to the more strict alcohol laws of some of its neighbouring states, like Kansas and Oklahoma. In fact, Missouri's alcohol regime is one of the least restrictive in the United States, with no blue laws and taxes below average.

Before state alcohol regulation began in 1934, many Missouri cities, including St. Louis and Kansas City, had banned Sunday liquor sales. Missouri's original 1934 Liquor Control Law prohibited Sunday sales of beverages with more than 5% alcohol by volume, but this restriction was lifted in 1975.

On Sunday, August 28, 2021, a new law came into effect, allowing the sale of alcohol on Sundays between the hours of 6 am and 1:30 am. This brought Sunday hours for on- and off-premise purchases in line with the rest of the week.

The new law also allows liquor to be sold on Sundays at 6 am for consumption at convention trade areas in Kansas City, North Kansas City, Jackson County, St. Louis County, and St. Louis.

The change in the law was prompted by a bill passed by the Missouri State Senate, which aimed to make COVID-19 provisions that boosted Missouri alcohol sales permanent.

Age restrictions

The state of Missouri has a minimum drinking age of 21 years, which has been in place since 1945. It is a misdemeanour for those under 21 to purchase or consume alcohol, with fines of up to $1,000 and/or up to a year in jail. Missouri law also prohibits minors from possessing alcohol.

However, Missouri is one of six states with an exception that allows a minor to be furnished alcohol by their parent or guardian. This law allows parents to introduce their children to alcohol in a controlled environment, such as in the parents' house, rather than at a college party, for example. It is also one of 20 states with no specific law prohibiting the consumption of alcohol by minors.

It is also illegal for anyone other than a parent or guardian to give alcohol to anyone under 21. If convicted, this could have lifelong implications, such as preventing the individual from becoming a teacher, police officer, or social worker.

Missouri's alcohol laws also include a "zero-tolerance" policy for drinking and driving for those under 21. A person under 21 operating a vehicle can be charged with a DUI if they have a blood alcohol content (BAC) level above 0.02%. For those over 21, the presumed intoxication level is 0.8%.

Missouri's alcohol laws do not differentiate between types of alcohol based on the percentage of alcohol in a given beverage. The Liquor Control Law covers any "alcohol for beverage purposes... which contains more than 0.5% alcohol by volume."

Open containers

Missouri has some of the most permissive alcohol laws in the United States. There is no statewide open container law in Missouri, which means that there is no state law prohibiting passengers in a vehicle from drinking in a vehicle. This does not apply to the driver, who is never allowed to have an open container.

While there is no statewide law, there are many cities and towns across the state that do prohibit the act with local ordinances. For example, 31 smaller municipalities, including Columbia, Independence, and St. Charles, have local open container laws.

The cities of St. Louis and Kansas City, however, have no local open container laws, and so the state law (or lack thereof) governs. This means that it is possible for a passenger to drink legally through the entire 250-mile (400 km) 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 the municipalities with local open container laws.

In 2005, the Missouri General Assembly passed a new law allowing patrons of any "entertainment district" in Downtown Kansas City to remove any alcoholic beverage from any establishment in the district and carry it openly throughout the district, provided that the beverage is in a plastic cup marked with the logo of the establishment at which it was purchased. The City Council later legalized the possession of an open container in any portion not open to vehicular traffic of the Power & Light District, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the Crossroads Arts District, the 18th and Vine Historic District, the Liberty Memorial, Crown Center, and the Union Hill neighborhood.

As a result of having no state open container laws, a percentage of Missouri's federal highway funds is transferred to alcohol education programs each year. Since 1999, the Missouri General Assembly has considered several bills that would have created open container regimens satisfying the federal law, but each one has failed due to weak legislative support.

Licensing

Missouri's alcohol laws are among the most permissive in the United States, with a largely laissez-faire approach to alcohol regulation. The state's alcohol laws are monitored and regulated by the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control.

The state of Missouri requires that anyone selling alcohol must have the appropriate license. This includes producers, wholesalers, suppliers, retailers, and customers, who must all understand the regulations governing alcoholic beverages, such as beer and wine.

There are various types of manufacturer licenses available, including:

• Liquor Manufacturer-Solicitor
• 22% Wine Manufacturer-Solicitor
• 5% Beer Manufacturer-Solicitor
• Temporary Manufacturer Event Permit

The 5% Beer Manufacturer Solicitor license allows for the manufacturing and brewing of malt liquor containing no more than 5% alcohol by weight, and the licensee may sell to licensed wholesalers and solicit orders for the sale of malt liquors containing no more than 5% alcohol by weight. Applicants for this license must first meet all federal laws and regulations governing beer manufacturing and obtain all necessary federal permits and tax stamps.

Other licenses include:

• Liquor Wholesale Solicitor
• 22% Wholesale Solicitor
• 5% Wholesale Solicitor
• Alcohol Carrier License
• Vintage Wine Solicitor

Buying Alcohol in Missouri

Alcoholic beverages for off-premise consumption in Missouri can be purchased between the hours of 6 am and 1:30 am. Missouri has no dry jurisdictions, and alcohol can be purchased on Sundays since a law change in 2021.

Shipping Alcohol to Missouri

Missouri allows direct-to-consumer shipping for wines, but not for beer or spirits. There are no limitations on the interstate shipping of alcohol into the state, as long as the quantity is less than five gallons, it has been lawfully manufactured in its source jurisdiction, and the recipient is over 21 years old.

For quantities greater than five gallons, a "transporter's license" from the Missouri Department of Revenue is required, along with the necessary licensing fees. The commercial carrier must also be licensed to do business by the Department of Economic Development.

Frequently asked questions