02/09/2004 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

HOUSE RESEARCH • • • Short Subjects John Williams June 2003 The 2:00 a.m. On -Sale Closing Hour and Other Liquor Law Changes The legislature in 2003 made some of the most far - reaching changes in liquor kw since Sunday liquor was legalized more than 30 years ago, including allowing on -sale of alcoholic beverages until 2:00 a.m. On -sale closing The 2003 omnibus liquor bill moves back from 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. the hour hours at which on -sale of intoxicating liquor and 3.2 beer must cease. ( "On- sale" is sale for consumption on the premises only.) The same change is made for the hour at which establishments with "consumption and display" permits (bottle clubs or set -ups) must stop consumption on the premises. The effective date of the change is July 1, 2003. Local authority to set other hours The 1:00 a.m. hour had been in effect since the 1940s. Although the hour set in law is often referred to as the "closing hour," state law does not require establishments to close their doors at that hour but only to stop selling alcohol. A requirement to actually close may be included in local ordinances. The bill made no changes in the hours for off -sale establishments (package stores). Under present law, cities and counties may set more restrictive hours for alcoholic beverages than state law allows. So local governments have the right to retain the 1:00 a.m. closing hour for establishments within their jurisdiction. Cities cannot allow any on -sale of alcohol later than 2:00 a.m. A city that has already adopted an ordinance that sets a 1:00 a.m. closing time will retain that closing time unless it decides to repeal or amend its ordinance. A city that enacts a 1:00 a.m. ordinance before July 1 will prevent the new closing time from taking effect within its jurisdiction. A city could still adopt such an ordinance after July 1, but it would mean rolling back the closing hour from 2:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Any local action to set on -sale hours that differ from state law must apply equally to intoxicating liquor and 3.2 beer.