Are liquor stores open on New Year’s Eve 2020? See opening hours

On New Year’s Eve, most liquor stores across the country are open but some may be operating on reduced hours.

Liquor laws vary by state, or sometimes by county, so check your local liquor laws before visiting a venue to stock up on alcohol.

Here we look at the hours of operation on New Year’s Eve in some states with state-run liquor stores.

Pennsylvania

On New Year’s Eve, liquor stores in Pennsylvania are open at their normal start time and will close by 8 p.m. local time, according to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

“Stores will support curbside service to the best of their ability from their normally scheduled start time through 8 p.m. for most stores,” the board notes.

The hours for individual shops can be found using the store locator at the Fine Wine & Good Spirits website.

“Due to COVID-19 safety measures, no returns will be accepted at this time. All sales are final,” the Fine Wine & Good Spirits website notes.

Liquor stores are closed on New Year’s Day and will resume normal hours of operation from January 2.

North Carolina

Liquor stores in North Carolina are open on New Year’s Eve, according to the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Commission of North Carolina.

The commission also notes: “Effective 5pm, Friday, December 11th, the sale and service of alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption must cease at 9pm. ABC permitted businesses must close by 10pm unless an exemption applies.”

The commission advised: “No ABC store shall be open, and no ABC store employee shall sell alcoholic beverages, on any Sunday, New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day. A local board may otherwise determine the days on which its stores shall be closed.”

Utah

Liquor shops in Utah are open on December 31 but closed on New Year’s Day, according to the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC).

The DABC notes: “The Snowcreek, Park City Liquor Store will have temporary operating hours of 11a-5p through December 31, 2020.”

“In an effort to better serve our customers, as of November 2, 2020, we have begun transitioning our stores to their original Pre-COVID 19 operating hours. Select stores will remain at reduced operating hours for the time being. For full details regarding specific locations and hours of operations, please visit our Find A Store page,” the DABC advises.

Contact your local store for the opening and closing times for other shops.

Virginia

Liquor stores in Virginia are open on December 31 but the hours of operation vary by stores. Find your local shop at the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) website to confirm exact store hours.

On January 1, all ABC shops are open from 12 p.m. and will close at 6 p.m. local time.

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, ABC stores in Virginia have implemented several safety protocols, including a face covering requirement for both customers and staff.

“As of December 14, 15 stores have returned to modified counter service, where customers stand at a safe distance from others at the front of the store while ABC employees retrieve products at their request.

“The available square footage and layouts of these 15 stores is such that it would be difficult to maintain a safe distance from others while browsing the aisles. Additionally, according to the Virginia Department of Health, these stores are in areas of the state with some of the highest rates of infection at the moment,” the ABC website states.

See the website for more information on the 15 shops that have returned to modified counter service.

Alabama

Liquor shops in Alabama are open on New Year’s Eve but are closed on January 1, according to the Alabama ABC Board. See the exact hours of operation for different stores at the Alabama ABC Board website.