The new year is finally here. It’s time to wash away the good, the bad, and the questionable choices of the past 12 months with some well-deserved drinks. This year might be the one where you need a couple of extra drinks to cheers a fresh start. Or maybe you just want to get your fill before you start your January detox. Either way, New Year’s Eve (and subsequently New Year’s Day, the de facto Bloody Mary day), is a time of consumption.
But what if you run out of the good stuff before the party’s over? You can just hit the store, right? It’s complicated, as they say. It turns out that your ability to buy alcohol on New Year’s depends on where you live.
Check out the chart below to see if you can legally buy alcohol to take home in your state on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
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---|---|---|
Alabama | Some | State-owned liquor stores closed on New Year’s Day or the day it’s government-recognized. Also closed on Sunday. |
Alaska | Yes | |
Arizona | Yes | |
Arkansas | Yes | |
California | Yes | |
Colorado | Yes | |
Connecticut | Yes | No on New Year’s Day. Some counties prohibit sale when it falls on a Sunday. |
Delaware | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on Sunday. |
Florida | Yes | |
Georgia | Yes | |
Hawaii | Yes | |
Idaho | Some | No liquor from state-run liquor stores when the government recognizes New Year’s Day. |
Indiana | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on Sunday. |
Iowa | Yes | |
Kansas | Yes | No wine or liquor from state-owned liquor stores when New Year’s Day is recognized. |
Kentucky | Yes | Kentucky has many dry counties. |
Louisiana | Yes | |
Maine | Yes | |
Maryland | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on a Sunday, when Baltimore and Garrett counties prohibit liquor sales. |
Massachusetts | Yes | |
Michigan | Yes | |
Minnesota | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on a Sunday, when you can’t buy liquor or wine from government-run stores. |
Mississippi | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on a Sunday, when you can’t buy liquor or wine from government-run stores. |
Missouri | Yes | |
Montana | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on a Sunday, when you can’t buy liquor or wine from government-run stores. |
Nebraska | Yes | |
Nevada | Yes | |
New Hampshire | Yes | Except for liquor at government-run stores on New Year’s Day. |
New Jersey | Yes | |
New Mexico | Yes | |
New York | Yes | |
North Carolina | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on a Sunday, when you can’t buy liquor from government-run stores. |
North Dakota | Yes | |
Ohio | Yes | |
Oklahoma | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on a Sunday. |
Oregon | Yes | |
Pennsylvania | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on a Sunday, when you can’t buy liquor or wine from government-run stores. |
Rhode Island | Yes | |
South Carolina | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on a Sunday, when you can’t buy liquor from government-run stores. |
South Dakota | Yes | |
Tennessee | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on a Sunday, when you can’t buy liquor or wine. |
Texas | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on a Sunday, when you can’t buy liquor. |
Utah | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on a Sunday, when you can’t buy liquor or wine from government-run stores. Also can’t buy liquor or wine from government-run stores on the recognized New Year’s Day holiday. |
Vermont | Yes | Yes on New Year’s Eve, no liquor sales from government-run stores on recognized New Year’s Day. |
Virginia | Yes | On New Year’s Eve, no liquor sales from government-run stores on recognized New Year’s Day. |
Washington | Yes | |
West Virginia | Yes | Except when New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is on a Sunday when you can’t buy liquor. |
Wisconsin | Yes | |
Wyoming | Yes |