Indiana House Approves Sunday Alcohol Sales

As soon as March 4, convenience stores, liquor stores and supermarkets will be able to sell alcohol seven days a week.

February 23, 2018

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana House passed a measure that would end the state’s unpopular prohibition against Sunday alcohol sales at convenience, grocery and liquor stores, the Indianapolis Star reports. The Senate already approved a similar bill. Gov. Eric Holcomb could sign the legislation into law as early as next week. Since the bill would go into effect immediately, that would mean residents could buy alcohol on Sundays as soon as March 4.

The change will be easy to make for convenience, drug and grocery stores that currently offer alcohol six days a week, but liquor stores, which are closed on Sundays, are scrambling to staff operations after an amendment ramped up the effective date from July 1.

Supermarkets and convenience stores have been pressing for the change for a long time. Last year, the legislature formed a committee to look over the state’s liquor laws after Ricker’s began selling cold beer at two locations with a restaurant permit. While for now, cold beer sales at convenience stores and supermarkets is off the table.

Scot Imus, head of the Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, expressed his pleasure that lawmakers finally approved Sunday sales, but said the fight for fair liquor sales isn’t over yet. House Bill 1419, which passed the House, would mandate convenience stores, drug stores and supermarkets that stock alcohol have 21-year-old licensed and trained cashiers starting in 2020. groceries and pharmacies that sell alcohol to have 21-year-old trained and licensed clerks beginning in 2020.

“We obviously have concerns with the added requirements placed on us,” said Imus. “It’s something we would have agreed to if we had the opportunity to sell cold beer but at this point, with a better compliance record (than liquor stores), it just seems punitive.”

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