The Weird Laws You Must Follow to Buy Liquor in Texas

(Kilgore, Texas) - Texas and alcohol have a complicated relationship. There's one side that loves to have a drink to wind down from a long day. The other side believes alcohol is the downfall of society.

Despite the awkward relationship, you can buy beer and liquor in Texas. Granted, there is a list of weird laws that must be followed to do so. It's also weird that liquor is not available to buy everywhere. Some counties don't allow it, like Smith County, but cities within those counties do allow it, like Troup or Winona.

Buying Alcohol in East Texas

Buying alcohol in Texas can be a bit of pain sometimes. I remember the days when Coffee City or Big Sandy or Kilgore were the closest places to drive to get any kind of alcohol if you lived in Smith County. I remember working at RaceTrac in Lindale in the late 90s and getting cussed out by people because Smith County was dry.

The thing is, these laws were not put in place by an individual business, these laws were put in place by the Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission (TABC). While Texas is known to have a rebellious reputation, the laws around alcohol, specifically liquor, are not so rebellious.

READ MORE: The 30 Forgotten, Weird and Outdated Laws Still Punishable in Texas

Differences in Liquor Laws in Texas Cities

Texas does have general laws around the sell of alcohol in a bar or restaurant or from a store to consume at home. Thing is, individual cities can pass their own ordinances in regards to alcohol sales as long as they are within the state's laws.

For instance, in Tyler, Sunday through Friday, bars and restaurants can serve alcohol until midnight. On Saturday, that time is extended to 1 a.m. But if you go to Longview, bars and restaurants can serve until 2 a.m. no matter the night. So weird.

Buy Beer and Wine in East Texas

It wasn't until the early 2010s that you could buy beer or wine from a store within Smith County. Before that, you had to drive across county lines to do so. Since that time, Smith county cities like Troup, Arp and Winona voted to sell liquor in stores.

You would think as big as Tyler is, they would approve the sale of liquor within the city limits. Just like the beer and wine vote, someone will have to come along to get liquor sales throughout Smith County put on a ballot.

Texas Liquor Laws

Texas alcohol laws are some of the strictest in the country. You can't sell liquor on Sundays. You can only buy it from a store between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. There are certain holidays that liquor cannot be sold on.

Cities that can't sell liquor for home consumption allow it for sale in bars and restaurants. It's all strange and confusing sometimes. So check out 12 weird laws around the sale of alcohol in Texas below:

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