When Can You Buy Beer in Texas on Sunday?
Short version: you can buy beer at Texas stores starting at 10 a.m. on Sundays — not noon like it used to be. But the full answer depends on where you’re buying and whether you’re grabbing a six-pack or ordering a pint with brunch. Here’s the whole picture, minus the legal jargon.
That first Sunday beer is legal earlier than most Texans realize — 10 a.m., not noon.
In Texas, you can buy beer at grocery stores, gas stations, and convenience stores from 10 a.m. to midnight on Sundays. At a bar or restaurant, beer is served from noon — or as early as 10 a.m. if you order food with it. Liquor stores stay closed all Sunday, but beer and wine are unaffected.
I’ve lost count of how many Sunday mornings I’ve watched someone in Texas roll up to a grocery store cooler, load up for a cookout or a game day, and then hesitate — squinting at the clock, genuinely unsure if the register will let the beer through yet. It’s one of those laws almost everyone in the state runs into but nobody quite remembers the details of. So let me settle it clearly: on Sundays, Texas stores can sell beer starting at 10 a.m., and they keep selling until midnight. That earlier start is newer than you’d think, and it changes real plans — early tailgates, brunch beers, lake mornings.
The reason it feels confusing is that Texas treats beer, wine, and liquor differently, and it treats stores differently from bars and restaurants. Once you separate those two questions — where you’re buying, and what you’re buying — the whole thing gets simple. Below I’ve laid out every Sunday scenario, added a quick tool so you can check your exact moment, and cited the official TABC rules so you’re not just taking my word for it.
Buying Beer at a Store on Sunday (Off-Premise)
This is what most people mean when they ask the question — grabbing beer to take home from a grocery store, gas station, convenience store, or supermarket. In Texas, these are called off-premise sellers, and on Sundays they can sell beer and wine from 10 a.m. until midnight.[1] That 10 a.m. start is the key detail: until a 2021 law change, you had to wait until noon.[2]
Based on TABC hours of sale. Local ordinances in some cities and counties can differ — always the final word.
Buying Beer at a Bar or Restaurant on Sunday (On-Premise)
If you’re not taking it home but drinking it there — at a bar, restaurant, or patio — the rules shift slightly. This is on-premise service, and the standard Sunday window is noon to midnight. But here’s the part people miss: between 10 a.m. and noon, a restaurant can serve you a beer as long as you order food with it.[1] That’s the exact rule that makes Sunday brunch beers and mimosas legal before noon — I broke that down fully in our Texas Sunday brunch alcohol law guide if you’re planning a boozy brunch.
“The magic words before noon on a Sunday are ‘with food.’ Order a plate alongside that beer and you’re completely in the clear.”
Can I Buy Beer Right Now?
Set the day, time, and where you’re buying — we’ll tell you if Texas law allows it. (General statewide rules; local ordinances can vary.)
What About Liquor on Sunday?
Beer’s the easy one. Liquor is where Texas stays strict: package stores (liquor stores) are closed every Sunday, full stop.[1] They’re also closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day — and if Christmas or New Year’s lands on a Sunday, they stay shut the following Monday too. This is a leftover from Texas’s old “blue laws,” and it only applies to liquor sold to-go. Beer and wine at grocery and convenience stores are completely unaffected, and a bar or restaurant can still serve you a cocktail on Sunday under the same on-premise hours as beer.
Where to Enjoy Your Sunday Beer Across Texas
If your Sunday plan is less “beer run” and more “sit somewhere good and have one poured for you,” here are a few spots we cover around the state — each one an easy place to put that on-premise rule to use. Just remember the before-noon crowd needs to order food alongside the drink.
Good to Know Before Your Sunday Run
- 10 a.m. is the magic number for stores. Beer and wine at grocery, gas, and convenience stores start at 10 a.m. Sunday and run to midnight — no food required, no noon wait anymore.
- Before noon at a bar or restaurant, order food. Between 10 a.m. and noon, on-premise beer is only legal alongside a food order. After noon, food isn’t required.
- Liquor stores are simply closed Sundays. Don’t plan a Sunday tequila or whiskey run — grab it Saturday by 9 p.m. instead. Beer and wine at the grocery store are still fair game.
- Local rules can override the statewide default. Texas has wet, dry, and partially dry areas, and some cities set their own ordinances. If you’re somewhere unfamiliar, the local rule wins.
- Saturday night stretches to 1 a.m. Beer sales at stores run until 1 a.m. early Sunday morning — a small but useful carryover for late Saturday plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can you buy beer in Texas on Sunday?
At stores (grocery, gas, convenience), you can buy beer from 10 a.m. to midnight on Sundays in Texas. At bars and restaurants, beer is served from noon, or as early as 10 a.m. if you order food alongside it.
Can you buy beer before noon on Sunday in Texas?
Yes. Since a 2021 law change, stores can sell beer and wine starting at 10 a.m. on Sundays instead of noon. At a restaurant, you can also have a beer between 10 a.m. and noon as long as it’s served with food.
Why are liquor stores closed on Sundays in Texas?
It’s a longstanding “blue law.” Texas package (liquor) stores are required to close on Sundays, as well as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The restriction applies only to liquor sold to-go — beer and wine at grocery and convenience stores are still available.
What time do beer sales stop on Sunday in Texas?
Beer sales at stores stop at midnight on Sundays. Bars and restaurants with a late-hours permit may serve on-premise until 2 a.m., but off-premise (to-go) beer ends at midnight.
Can you buy beer at a gas station on Sunday in Texas?
Yes. Gas stations and convenience stores follow the same off-premise hours as grocery stores — beer and wine from 10 a.m. to midnight on Sundays. They cannot sell liquor, which is restricted to package stores.
Sources & Further Reading
The hours in this guide come from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the state code that sets alcohol sale times. Local ordinances vary, so confirm locally when in doubt.
- Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) — official FAQs on legal hours of sale and service, including Sunday store hours (10 a.m.–midnight) and on-premise rules (noon, or 10 a.m. with food). tabc.texas.gov
- Texas House Bill 1518 (87th Legislature, 2021) — the law that moved Sunday beer and wine store sales up to a 10 a.m. start.
- Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, Chapter 105 — Hours of Sale and Consumption, the statutory basis for Sunday and holiday alcohol rules.
I keep these Texas drink-law explainers updated as the rules evolve — they change more often than you’d expect. If a local ordinance in your city works differently from the statewide default, that’s exactly the kind of thing worth flagging so I can note it here.