Hey Party Peoples,

I was looking at an article about weird state laws on the books, and was inspired to go research some weird alcohol related laws for each state. Some are goofier and more ridiculous than others, warning, warning, warning (i.e. Ohio)! Enjoy!

Federal Laws for All States:
*According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BAFT), the word “refreshing” can’t be utilized when describing alcohol beverages. (2)
*As of July 1988, there is a mimimum purchase age for alcohol of 21 years of age.

Alabama:
*It is illegal to purchase or distribute beer higher than 6% ABV. (6)
*Homebrewing is illegal in Alabama, and comes with a $2000 USD fine and up to a year in jail. (6)

Alaska:
*It is considered an offense to feed alcoholic beverages to a moose (onlly in Fairbanks). (3)
*Employers of bars may not let their bartenders serve while they are drunk themselves (only in Haines). (3)

Arizona:
*”Beer busts” (all the beer/liquor one can drink for a set price) in bars are illegal. (9)
*Patrons may not purchase more than 32 ounces of beer, 1 liter of wine or 4 ounces of distilled spirits at one time. (9)
*It is illegal to smoke cigarettes within 15 feet of a public place unless you have a Class 12 liqueur license (only in Mesa). (3)

Arkansas:
*Alcohol cannot be sold on Christmas Day. (9)

California:
*No alcohol beverages can be displayed within five feet of a cash register of any store in California that sells both alcohol and motor fuel. (5)

Colorado:
*It is illegal to ride a horse while under the influence. (3)
*Establishments which sell alcohol must have enough lighting to read text inside them (only in Arvada). (3)
*Wine must be sold in containers of at least 24 ounces and spirits in containers at least a fifth of a gallon. But, at the same time, it also decrees that no alcohol beverage can be stored in hotel minibars in anything larger than miniature containers. (5)

Connecticut:
*Town records may not be kept where liquor is sold. (3)
*You cannot buy any alcohol after 8pm or on Sundays. (10)

Delaware:
*Alcohol may not be served in nightclubs if dancing is occurring on the premises at the same time. (3)

Florida:
*Sale, processing, or consumption of any liquor or spirit of greater than 153 proof is illegal. (9)
*No retail sale of wine in containers larger than 1 gallon. Beer must be sold in quantities of 32 or fewer ounces or greater than 1 gallon. Forty- and 64-ounce beverages are illegal. (9)

Georgia:
*Adult bookstores may not sell alcohol (only in Athens-Clarke County). (3)
*Massage businesses may not sell alcohol on the side. (3)
*It is illegal to sell two beers are once for a single price. For example, a bar can’t run a 2 Bud Lights for $5 special. (3)

Hawaii:
*You may only have one alcoholic drink in front of you at a time. (3)

Idaho:
*Alcoholic beverages exceeding 16% ABV can only be sold in Idaho State Liquor Dispensary stores, or contracted stores. (9)

Illinois:
*It is illegal to give a dog whiskey (in Chicago only). (3)
*It is illegal to drink beer out of a bucket while sitting on the curb (in Pullman area of Chicago only). (3)

Indiana:
*It is illegal for a liquor store to sell cold soft drinks or milk. (1)
*Grocery stores may not sell any type of cold liquor. (3)

Iowa:
*It is illegal to start a tab at a bar. (2)
*Ministers must obtain a permit to carry their liquor across state lines. (3)
*All boxes used to pick hops must be exactly 36 inches long. (3)
*Liquor stores may not place advertisements for beer outside the store (only in Bettendorf). (3)
*It is still illegal for men to drink beer while they are in bed with their wives. (5)

Kansas:
*By law, anyone who has been drinking is “sober” until he or she “cannot hold onto the ground.” (8)
*59 counties require a business to receive at least 30% of revenue from food sales to allow on-premises sale of alcohol. (9)
*Sales are prohibited on Christmas and Easter. (9)

Kentucky:
*It’s illegal to ship alcohol to Kentucky. (7)
*Alcoholic drink specials are illegal. (10)

Louisiana:
*It is legal in the state of Louisiana for a legal parent or guardian to purchase alcoholic beverages for their under-aged child. (9)

Maine:
*Alcohol may not be purchased after 1 a.m. any day of the week, may not be purchased prior to 6 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and not prior to 9 a.m. on Sunday. (9)

Maryland:
****No weird laws that I could find – go Maryland!

Massachusetts:
*It is illegal to give beer to hospital patients. (3)
*Candy may not contain more than 1% of alcohol. (3)
*Alcohol drink specials are illegal. (3)
*Massachusetts liquor stores can only open on Sundays if they are in Berkshire, Essex, Franklin, Middlesex or Worcester counties and are within 10 miles of the Vermont or New Hampshire borders. (3)
*Legitimate out-of-state IDs are not sufficient proof of age; a Massachusetts driver’s license or Massachusetts Liquor ID is required or the establishment will not have legal protection. (9)

Michigan:
*Persons may not be drunk on trains. (3)

Minnesota:
*No alcohol off-sale on Sunday. Growler sales allowed until 10 p.m. Monday–Saturday. (9)

Mississippi:
*Beer over 5% ABV prohibited in state. However ABV > 5% wine and sparkling wine is sold in state-contracted stores. (9)
*No sales of alcohol on Christmas day. (9)
*Governer Phil Bryant signed a bill permitting beer with 8% ABW/10% ABV on April 9, 2012. The bill will go into effect on July 1, 2012. (9)
*Free alcohol all day and night in coastal casinos.
*In Natchez, it is illegal for an elephant to drink beer. (10)

Missouri:
*One may not drink in a bar between 2:00 and 6:00 AM (in Columbia only). (3)
*It shall be unlawful to provide beer or other intoxicants to elephants (in Natchez only). (3)
*It’s illegal to sit on the curb of any city street and drink beer from a bucket (in St. Louis only). (3)
*If you’re under 21 and in Missouri, refuse to take out the trash when your parents or friends ask. If the trash contains one empty alcohol beverage container, you could be charged with illegal possession of alcohol. (7)

Montana:
*Bands who play in clubs where alcohol is served may not leave the stage while performing (in Billings only). (3)
* ABV > 16% wine sold in state-contracted stores, ABV < 16% may be sold in grocery stores. (9)

Nebraska:
*It is illegal for bar owners to sell beer unless they are simultaneously brewing a kettle of soup. (1)
*It is illegal to fly a plane while drunk. (3)

Nevada:
*A man is forbidden from buying drinks for more than three people other than himself at any one period during the day (in Nyala only). (3)
*State law also renders public intoxication legal, and explicitly prohibits any local or state law from making it a public offence. (9)

New Hampshire:
*You may not tap your feet, nod your head, or in any way keep time to the music in a tavern, restaurant, or cafe. (3)
*In cemeteries it is illegal to: get drunk, picnic, enter at night, and enter by one’s self if that person is younger than 10 (in Claremont only). (3)

New Jersey:
*If you have been convicted of driving while intoxicated, you may never again apply for personalized license plates. (3)

New Mexico:
*Selling, serving and giving alcohol to a minor is a class 4 felony punishable by up to 18 months in prison. (9)
*No sale of alcohol on Christmas Day. (9)

New York:
*According to the New York State Liquor Authority, you can buy wine, wine glasses, wine stoppers and corkscrews at a liquor store, but the state of New York prohibits them from selling wine gift bags. Sell a gift bag to a wine buying customer and you’ll be fined $10,000. (5)
*Exchanges for returned [alcoholic] items are permitted (at store owners’ discretion). (9)

North Carolina:
*Serving alcohol at a bingo game is not allowed. (3)
*There is a 15% ABV cap on beer, but no known cap on wine. (9)

North Dakota:
*Beer and pretzels can’t be served at the same time in any bar or restaurant. (1)
No sales on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, or after 6pm on Christmas Eve Day. (9)

Ohio:
*It is illegal to get a fish drunk. (1)
*There is a 12% ABV cap on beer and a 21% ABV cap on wine. (9)
*Alcohol can be sold/given to people under the age of eighteen if given by a physician in the regular line of his practice or given for established religious purposes, or the underage person is accompanied by a parent, spouse who is not an underage person, or legal guardian. (9)
*No intoxicating liquor shall be handled by any person under twenty-one years of age, except that a person eighteen years of age or older employed by a permit holder may handle or sell beer or intoxicating liquor in sealed containers in connection with wholesale or retail sales, and any person nineteen years of age or older employed by a permit holder may handle intoxicating liquor in open containers when acting in the capacity of a server in a hotel, restaurant, club, or night club. (9)

Oklahoma:
*Strong beer may not be sold chilled. (4)
*Any beer higher than 4% ABV may only be sold at room temperature in liquor stores. (9)

Oregon:
****I found nothing weird or odd for Oregon, either! Go Oregon!

Pennsylvania:
*Law prohibits a man from buying alcohol without a note of permission from his wife. (2)
*Ministers are forbidden from performing marriages when either the bride or groom is drunk. (3)
*No more than two packages of beer at a time may be purchased, unless you are buying from an official “beer distributor”. (3)
*All liquor stores must be run by the state. (3)
*Outdated, but thought this was interesting (2010-2011 only): In 2010, a trial was initiated to test selling wine in grocery stores using vending machines. The buyer must present identification, look into a camera to allow an offsite PLCB employee to verify the identification, and blow into a breathalyzer to authorize the sale. (9)

Rhode Island:
*It is illegal to drive down any street with beer in your car, even if it is unopened (only in Scituate). (3)
*All alcohol may be sold only in liquor stores. (9)

South Carolina:
*It is illegal to sell any alcoholic beverages on Sunday, unless you own a private club. (3)
*There is a 17.5% ABV cap on beer, and a 16% ABV cap on wine. Also, no hard liquor sales after 7pm, and none on Sunday at all. (9)

South Dakota:
*There is a 14% ABV cap on beer.

Tennessee:
*It is illegal to dare a child to purchase a beer. (3)
*One may not throw bottles at trees. (3)
*Wine is sold only in liquor stores. (9)
*Beer above 6.3% ABV must be sold in liquor stores. (9)
*Open container law only applies to drivers, not passengers. (9)

Texas:
*It is illegal to take more than three sips of beer at a time while standing. (1)
*The entire Encyclopedia Britannica is banned in Texas because it contains a formula for making beer at home. (1)
*The law of Texas states that no person can consume more than three sips of beer at a time if they are standing up. (2)
*An alcoholic beverage served (on-premise) to a customer between 10 a.m. and noon on Sunday may only be provided during the service of food to the customer. (9)

Utah:
*It’s legal for restaurants to serve wine with meals, but only if you ask for the wine list. (3)
*Alcohol may not be sold during an emergency. (3)
*Individuals may not possess beer in containers larger than two liters unless they are a retailer. (3)
*No establishment with a liquor license can have drink specials. (4)
*Alcohol over 4% ABV may only be sold in state-controlled stores. (9)
*No alcohol is served in restaurants without purchase of food. (9)
*Sale of kegs of beer is prohibited. (9)

Vermont:
*Beer or wine above 16% ABV are only available through state liquor stores. Under 16% ABV, the items are available in grocery and convenience stores. (9)

Virginia:
****Nothing found for Virgina either, go Virginia!

Washington:
*Destroying a beer cask or bottle of another is illegal. (3)
*Dancing and drinking may not occur at the same establishment. (in Lynden only). (3)

West Virginia:
*There is a 12% ABV cap on Beer. (9)
*Liquor, wine & beer products that are not already in closed packaging must be bagged before exiting retail locations. (9)

Wisconsin:
*Wisconsin permits the consumption of alcohol by minors, provided they are being supervised by parents/guardians/spouses. (9)

Wyoming:
*If one is drunk in a mine, he or she could land in jail for up to a year. (3)
*It is illegal for women to stand within five feet of a bar while drinking. (3)
*Skiing under the influence of alcohol is prohibited. (3)
*Junk dealers may not make any business transactions with drunk persons. (10)

Sources:
Source (1)
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Source (10)