Indiana’s Sunday Alcohol Law has made a big change over the past couple of years. Even after the passing of the 21st Amendment, effectively overturning Prohibition, Indiana residents were prohibited from purchasing alcohol on Sundays, aside from ordering a drink in a restaurant or filling a beer growler. To the delight of many, a bill allowing carryout package liquor sales in Indiana recently passed both the House and the Senate (titled Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 1051 respectively). On February 28, 2018, Governor Eric Holcomb signed the bill into law.
What does the new Indiana’s Sunday Alcohol Law say?
The law states alcohol can be purchased from liquor stores, groceries, pharmacies, and convenience stores from 12:00 p.m. (noon) until 8:00 p.m., a limited scope of time compared to the 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m. time frame for Monday-Saturday, beginning on March 4, 2018.
As far as restaurants are concerned, the law made no changes to their previous policies, and alcoholic beverages can still be purchased by the glass from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m.
What about beer?
While the law has always allowed beer growlers to be filled on Sundays, so long as the beer comes from a brewery that brews on its premises, non-cold beer can now be purchased from the store on Sundays.
However, while legislation regarding non-cold beer has changed, the law on cold beer remains unchanged. A Senate bill was proposed to allow cold beer sales by grocery and convenience stores but did not move beyond the Senate. Indiana is the only state in the nation that regulates beer dependent upon temperature. While purchasing cold beer at a convenience store is still prohibited, it can be purchased in liquor stores on Sundays.
Remember, drinking and driving is still a crime in Indiana, even on a Sunday. The legal limit for your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) in Indiana is .08. If you are pulled over, breathalyzed, and exceed .08, you will be charged with a OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) under Indiana law.
If you find yourself charged with a OWI, call us at 317-982-6122 to discuss your options today!