[:D] Hello everyone! I am looking to move to Oklahoma with my finance and we are wondering about state liquer laws... such as where can you buy it? from what hours? are there any days that are dry? I would really appreciate any info you could give me. Thanks!
In Oklahoma you have to obtain a license to buy liquor. It is pretty much the same as the license you get to drive a car. However, in this case you are given a large quantity of beer, wine, or liquor (your choice) and then put behind the wheel of an '87 Ford Festiva (stickshift) during rush hour traffic on the busiest thoroughfares in Tulsa. It's a recent law, enacted in 1994 and has curtailed drunken driving by 98% because nobody has yet survived the licensing process.
In fact, here's a picture of the actual vehicle (after body work).
(http://www.fotothing.com/photos/562/5620d4d181e88c5c3603b013d5916a9b.jpg?ts=1160171911)
Just joking! Although I speak alot about drinking, I don't buy too much and am not an authority on it. The only time I usually drink is when I go out with friends to bars.
There are liquor stores, of course, and they are open during the evening, I just don't know what time they close (9 pm?).
Liquor stores are closed on Sundays (it's a problem if you need some last-minute "blood of Christ" for your church service) and Election days (as if we could possibly elect worse US Senator whilst drunk?)...
You can always buy 3.2 beer at grocery stores, and if all else fails, you can get pretty liquored up in public at restaurants and bars...even on Sundays and Election days (weird, huh?)
Yeah, I think liquor stores close at 9pm. The rules are that you either server liquor OR you server 3.2 beer and other foodstuffs. Liqour stores cannot sell mixers, ice, or anything else.
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Originally posted by sgrizzle
Yeah, I think liquor stores close at 9pm. The rules are that you either server liquor OR you server 3.2 beer and other foodstuffs. Liqour stores cannot sell mixers, ice, or anything else.
they can sell mixers...
Liquor, wine and strong beer can be purchased only at a liquor store. Liquor stores are open from 10AM to 9PM Monday thru Saturday, and must remain closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day. On election days, liquor stores cannot open until after the polls close at 7PM (a vote will take place this year to change that law).
Grocery stores, convenience stores and any other retail establishment with a beer permit can sell 3.2 beer from 6AM to 2AM, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
A petition is currently being circulated to allow grocery stores to sell wine and strong beer. Even though I am currently living in Texas, I am still for the change in Oklahoma.
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Originally posted by brunoflipper
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Originally posted by sgrizzle
Yeah, I think liquor stores close at 9pm. The rules are that you either server liquor OR you server 3.2 beer and other foodstuffs. Liqour stores cannot sell mixers, ice, or anything else.
they can sell mixers...
Only if the contain alcohol. The mixer you buy at a grocery store contains no alcohol, the same one at the Liquor store has a small amount of alcohol, usually 1-2% by volume.
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Originally posted by okcpulse
Liquor, wine and strong beer can be purchased only at a liquor store. Liquor stores are open from 10AM to 9PM Monday thru Saturday, and must remain closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day. On election days, liquor stores cannot open until after the polls close at 7PM (a vote will take place this year to change that law).
Grocery stores, convenience stores and any other retail establishment with a beer permit can sell 3.2 beer from 6AM to 2AM, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
A petition is currently being circulated to allow grocery stores to sell wine and strong beer. Even though I am currently living in Texas, I am still for the change in Oklahoma.
Also...
Bars & restaurants that sell liquor drinks must close the bar at 2:00 AM.
Liquor stores can only sell their products at room temperature. Refrigerated 3.2 beer may be sold at other stores. Persons under the age of 21 are forbidden from liquor store premises.
Any city or town in OK with a population of 200 or more can have a package liquor store, so technically there are no totally "dry" counties in Oklahoma. In the more sparsely populated rural counties, the package stores may be few and far between. All package stores in Oklahoma are privately owned businesses, not state run stores. Retail prices are set by the store management and competition, not a mandated state price.
Since 1984, sale of individual liquor drinks in cocktail lounges and restaurants is on a county option basis, so some counties may have package stores only. My guess is that currently about 67% of OK counties allow liquor by the drink, 33% have package stores and "3.2 beer joints" only.
Just as an aside and bit of history trivia, all forms of alcoholic beverage advertising are still illegal in Oklahoma, except for beer. Print, TV, billboards for wine and hard liquor are illegal. (Remember when local TV stations used to block out the wine ads on TV?) All liquor stores can only have 1 outdoor sign with the wording "retail alcoholic liquor store," or any combination of these words, and the letters in this one sign can not be over 4" high or 3" wide. Backlighting is OK but neon is a no-no! All of these laws are still on the books, but were rendered unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court, about 10-15 years ago I think, and are unenforceable.
You can buy a can of Budweiser anytime.
Christmas morning at 4am...doesn't matter.
Take that, other states.
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Originally posted by swake
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Originally posted by brunoflipper
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Originally posted by sgrizzle
Yeah, I think liquor stores close at 9pm. The rules are that you either server liquor OR you server 3.2 beer and other foodstuffs. Liqour stores cannot sell mixers, ice, or anything else.
they can sell mixers...
Only if the contain alcohol. The mixer you buy at a grocery store contains no alcohol, the same one at the Liquor store has a small amount of alcohol, usually 1-2% by volume.
it is still a mixer....
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Originally posted by recyclemichael
You can buy a can of Budweiser anytime.
Christmas morning at 4am...doesn't matter.
Take that, other states.
There seems to be some confusion about this; see okcpulse's post earlier in this thread. I think okcpulse is correct, the rules were changed a few years ago and 3.2 beer can no longer be sold between 2AM and 6AM.
I don't think that is right, but I honestly have not purchased any 3.2 beer at a convenience store aftrer 2 am since I was in my twenties.
I find no reference to such an Oklahoma law on the ABLE commission nor Oklahoma tax commission sites.
I think that original packaged, 3.2 percent, cereal malt beverage can be purchased for off-pemise consumption only during those times.
Whose game to making a 3 am run tonight to buy some beer?[;)]
The law was changed in 1995 to prohibit the sale of 3.2 beer between 2AM and 6AM. Before then, you could buy it any time you wanted. Certain cities had their own ordinances in place to prohibit the sale of 3.2 beer, but Oklahoma City and Tulsa before 1995 had no restrictions in place. Edmond, on the other hand, had an ordinance that prohibited the sale of 3.2 beer from 3AM to 6AM. I remember that.
It was Gov. Frank Keating that wanted the change after a lawmaker pushed to change the definition of 3.2 beer from 'non-intoxicating' to 'low-point beer'. So now, the constitutional definition of 3.2 beer is 'low-point beer' since 3.2 beer is actually 4% alcohol by volume and regular beer is 5% alcohol by volume.
For those interested in the subject, OETA (PBS, CH. 11) is doing a segment tonight at 9:00 PM on the "Stateline" program about the growing grape/wine industry in Oklahoma and obstacles with Oklahoma's liquor laws. I think it may be a rebroadcast, but of interest due to upcoming statewide votes.
I think there's also another little known law that you have to be old enough to know how to spell "liquer" before you can drink it.
Anyone willing to try and repeal the archaic alcohol blue laws in this state gets my vote. Sure Jesus didnt buy alcohol on Sundays, he could just turn on the tap and make it himself.
Seriously though, they do no good for anyone and just serve as another mocking point against 'backwards' Oklahoma. The only thing it accomplishes is to punish citizens who want to pick up a bottle of wine on a Friday night (9pm) or some beers for a Sunday BBQ. Im willing to be most o fhte alcoholics have figured out the system and are able to drink around it.
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Originally posted by cannon_fodder
Im willing to be most of the alcoholics have figured out the system and are able to drink around it.
Myself included.