Question: What are the holidays when liquor off-sale isn't allowed in MN? I can never remember. Answer: Holiday season is a brewin' and so is common confusion about when liquor stores are closed or not closed based on state law.
There are actually only a couple cases when liquor cannot be sold off-sale on a holiday. So if grandma's fruitcake is missing it's secret ingredient, remember these two simple "closed for business" rules before making a liquor run:
- A liquor licensee may not sell off-sale on Thanksgiving Day.
- A liquor licensee may not sell off-sale from 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve, through Christmas Day.
Apart from these holidays, no off-sale licensee may sell liquor on Sunday of course, whether it’s a holiday or not. (There are some exceptions to the general Sunday off-sale ban such as brewpub sales of growlers and farm winery sales.)
Also, cities can be more restrictive on hours of off-sale than state law, but in any case no off-sale liquor may be sold before 8 a.m. or after 10 p.m. on days other than Sunday.
If you have other questions related to liquor licenses, the League memo Liquor Licensing and Regulation is a great place to start.
Written by Edward Cadman, special counsel with the League of Minnesota Cities. Contact: ecadman@lmc.org or (651) 281-1229.
This blog post conveys general information. It’s not
legal advice. Please check with your city attorney before acting on this
information.