Blue Laws In Missouri: Who Do They Affect?

Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, are laws that restrict or ban some or all activities on specified days, most commonly Sundays. These laws are in place to promote the observance of a day of rest and are enforced in parts of the United States, Canada, and some European countries. While most blue laws have been repealed in the United States, Missouri was once one of the few states that upheld these laws. The state's blue law, adopted in 1934, prohibited the sale of certain items on Sundays, allowing only the sale of articles of immediate necessity. This law was deemed vague and impossible to enforce by the Missouri Supreme Court in 1963, and it wasn't until 1975 that the sale of 5% beer was permitted on Sundays. Today, Missouri's alcohol laws are among the most permissive in the United States, with no blue laws and below-average taxes on alcohol.

Who does the Blue Law apply to?

Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, are laws that restrict or ban some or all activities on specified days, most often Sundays. These laws are typically enacted to promote the observance of a day of rest and are enforced in parts of the United States, Canada, and some European countries. While most blue laws have been repealed in the United States, many states continue to enforce restrictions on the sale of certain items on Sundays.

In Missouri, the blue law prohibited the sale of certain items on Sundays, with only "articles of immediate necessity" allowed to be sold. This law was adopted in 1934 and remained in place until the Missouri Supreme Court ruled it vague and impossible to enforce in 1963. However, it wasn't until 1975 that the sale of 5% beer was permitted on Sundays.

Today, Missouri's alcohol laws are among the most permissive in the United States, with no blue laws restricting the sale of alcohol. The state's approach to alcohol regulation is largely laissez-faire, influenced by its position as the leading alcohol-producing state in America. Missouri has no dry jurisdictions, and establishments can sell alcohol between 6:00 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. every day, with an additional license allowing sales until 6:30 a.m. on Sundays.

While blue laws in Missouri no longer apply to the sale of alcohol, they once restricted shopping and certain types of business operations on Sundays.

What are the restrictions on alcohol sales?

Missouri's alcohol laws are among the most permissive in the United States. The state is known for its largely laissez-faire approach to alcohol regulation, which stands in contrast to the stricter alcohol laws of some neighbouring states, such as Kansas and Oklahoma.

Blue Laws

Missouri was once one of the few states to uphold Blue Laws, which prohibit the sale of certain items on Sundays, or the Sabbath. However, this law was repealed in 1975, and today, Missouri has no blue laws.

On-Premises and Off-Premises Sales

Missouri has no specific state limitations on the places where alcohol may be sold "off-premises" (i.e. for consumption elsewhere). As a result, grocery stores, drug stores, and gas stations throughout the state sell a wide variety of beer, wine, and liquor.

Missouri does, however, limit the hours of retail alcohol sales to between 1:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and between 1:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. on Sundays.

Most municipalities, including St. Louis and Kansas City, have enacted local laws following the state law, which prohibit the retail sale of liquor between 1:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and between midnight on Sunday and 9:00 a.m. the following morning.

No Missouri law prohibits establishments from holding both off-premises and on-premises licenses. As a result, some businesses are licensed to sell liquor both "by the drink" (individually for consumption on-premises) and "by the package" (by the container for consumption off-premises).

Alcohol Type

Unlike many states, the alcohol laws of Missouri do not differentiate between types of alcohol based on the percentage of alcohol in a given beverage. Missouri's Liquor Control Law covers any "alcohol for beverage purposes, alcohol, spiritous, vinous, fermented, malt, or other liquors, or combination of liquors, a part of which is spiritous, vinous, or fermented, and all preparations or mixtures for beverage purposes, containing in excess of one-half of one percent by volume."

Thus, the Liquor Control Law covers any type of alcoholic beverage that contains more than 0.5% alcohol by volume.

Open Container Laws

Missouri has no state open container laws, which means that any non-driving vehicle passenger is permitted to possess an open container and consume alcohol while the vehicle is in motion. However, 31 smaller municipalities, the largest being Columbia, Independence, and St. Charles, have local open container laws.

Minors and Alcohol

Missouri's drinking age has been 21 since 1945. Missouri law prohibits minors from possessing or purchasing alcohol.

A minor in possession (MIP) of alcohol or a business or person who furnishes alcohol to a minor is guilty of a misdemeanour, although there are numerous defences and exceptions for sellers. Missouri is one of six states, however, with a unique exception that allows a minor to be furnished alcohol by their parent or guardian.

In 2005, the Missouri General Assembly amended the Liquor Control Law to prohibit any minor from having a blood alcohol level higher than 0.02%. This new law has been referred to as "Possession by Consumption".

Temporary COVID-19 Restrictions

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control temporarily waived a restriction on some "to-go" alcohol sales to help businesses. The new rules allowed retailer-packaged alcoholic drinks under certain conditions, including that the alcohol container must be durable, leakproof, and sealable, and that the customer must have ordered and purchased a meal at the same time as the alcohol.

Blue Laws and car sales

Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, are laws that restrict or ban some or all activities on specified days, most often Sundays. These laws are enforced in parts of the United States, Canada, and some European countries. While most blue laws have been repealed in the United States, many states continue to ban the sale of cars on Sundays.

In Missouri, the Blue Law prohibited the sale of certain items on Sundays, including alcohol and cars. The law was adopted in 1934 and prohibited sales of certain merchandise on the Sabbath. While Missouri has repealed its Blue Law, it once had a significant impact on business operations in the state.

In Wisconsin, it is against the law to sell a car or motorcycle on Sundays. This is a result of a blue law that restricts business activities on Sundays to preserve the religious nature of the day. Similar laws exist in other states, such as Pennsylvania, Texas, and Georgia.

The impact of blue laws on car sales varies depending on the state and local regulations. Some dealerships support blue laws as they provide a day off for staff and reduce competition. However, other dealerships may lose sales to competitors in states or counties without these restrictions.

Overall, blue laws continue to impact car sales in certain states, with dealerships adjusting their operations to comply with the regulations.

Are there Blue Laws for working on Sundays?

Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, are laws that restrict or ban some or all activities on specified days, most often Sundays. These laws are enforced in parts of the United States, Canada, and some European countries. While most blue laws have been repealed in the United States, many states continue to enforce certain restrictions, particularly related to the sale of alcohol and cars.

In Missouri, the "Blue Law" prohibited the sale of certain items on Sundays, with only "articles of immediate necessity" allowed to be sold. This law was adopted in 1934 and was in place until the Missouri Supreme Court ruled it extremely vague and impossible to enforce in 1963. However, it wasn't until 1975 that the sale of 5% beer was permitted on Sundays.

Today, Missouri has no blue laws, and its alcohol laws are among the most permissive in the United States. There are no longer any restrictions on the days or hours when alcohol can be sold, and the state has no dry jurisdictions. Missouri's approach to alcohol regulation is largely laissez-faire, influenced by its position as the leading alcohol-producing state in America.

While blue laws in Missouri no longer exist, their legacy can still be seen in the state's current alcohol regulations. Missouri's Liquor Control Law covers any alcoholic beverage containing more than 0.5% alcohol by volume, and the state allows a wide range of retail businesses, including grocery stores, drug stores, and gas stations, to sell alcohol as long as they obtain the proper licenses.

What are Missouri's Blue Laws on vehicle repairs?

Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, are laws that restrict or ban some or all activities on specified days, most often Sundays. These laws are enforced in parts of the United States, Canada, and some European countries. While most blue laws have been repealed in the United States, many states, including Missouri, continue to impose tighter restrictions on the sale of alcoholic drinks on Sundays.

In terms of vehicle repairs, Missouri has the following laws in place to protect consumers:

• Vehicle owners must be informed when non-original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts will be used for repairs.
• Vehicle owners must receive an estimate that lists all non-OEM parts before any work is carried out.
• Non-OEM parts specified by an insurer must be similar in kind and quality to OEM parts in terms of fit, quality, and performance.
• The manufacturer's name or logo must be visible on all non-OEM parts, when possible.
• When an insurer specifies the use of non-OEM parts, the cost of any necessary modifications must be considered.
• Vehicle owners must be notified that warranties for non-OEM parts will be provided by the part manufacturer or distributor, rather than the vehicle manufacturer.

Violations of these provisions are considered unfair settlement practices. Additionally, insurance companies cannot require vehicle owners to travel an unreasonable distance for repairs or estimates, or to use a specific repair shop. If an insurer does require a particular shop, they are responsible for restoring the vehicle to its previous condition at no extra cost to the owner, unless stated in their policy.

While there are no specific laws prohibiting vehicle repairs on Sundays in Missouri, the state's blue laws may impact the availability of certain repair services on that day.

Frequently asked questions