2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 30 - Intoxicating Liquors
Chapter 545 - Liquor Control Act
Section 30-91 - Hours and days of closing. Exemption.

(a) The sale or the dispensing or consumption or the presence in glasses or other receptacles suitable to permit the consumption of alcoholic liquor by an individual in places operating under hotel permits, restaurant permits, cafe permits, restaurant permits for catering establishments, bowling establishment permits, racquetball facility permits, club permits, coliseum permits, coliseum concession permits, special sporting facility restaurant permits, special sporting facility employee recreational permits, special sporting facility guest permits, special sporting facility concession permits, special sporting facility bar permits, golf country club permits, nonprofit public museum permits, university permits, airport restaurant permits, airport bar permits, airport airline club permits, tavern permits, a manufacturer permit for a brew pub, manufacturer permits for beer and brew pubs, casino permits, caterer liquor permits and charitable organization permits shall be unlawful on: (1) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between the hours of one o’clock a.m. and nine o’clock a.m.; (2) Saturday between the hours of two o’clock a.m. and nine o’clock a.m.; (3) Sunday between the hours of two o’clock a.m. and ten o’clock a.m.; (4) Christmas, except (A) for alcoholic liquor that is served where food is also available during the hours otherwise permitted by this section for the day on which Christmas falls, and (B) by casino permittees at casinos, as defined in section 30-37k; and (5) January first between the hours of three o’clock a.m. and nine o’clock a.m., except that on any Sunday that is January first the prohibitions of this section shall be between the hours of three o’clock a.m. and ten o’clock a.m.

(b) Any town may, by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which sales under subsection (a) of this section, except sales pursuant to an airport restaurant permit, airport bar permit or airport airline club permit, shall be permissible. In all cases when a town, either by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, has acted on the sale of alcoholic liquor or the reduction of the number of hours when such sale is permissible, such action shall become effective on the first day of the month succeeding such action and no further action shall be taken until at least one year has elapsed since the previous action was taken.

(c) Notwithstanding any provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, such sale or dispensing or consumption or presence in glasses in places operating under a bowling establishment permit shall be unlawful before eleven a.m. on any day, except in that portion of the permit premises which is located in a separate room or rooms entry to which, from the bowling lane area of the establishment, is by means of a door or doors which shall remain closed at all times except to permit entrance and egress to and from the lane area. Any alcoholic liquor sold or dispensed in a place operating under a bowling establishment permit shall be served in containers such as, but not limited to, plastic or glass. Any town may, by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which sales under this subsection shall be permissible.

(d) The sale or dispensing of alcoholic liquor in places operating under package store permits, drug store permits, manufacturer permits for beer, manufacturer permits for beer and brew pubs, manufacturer permits for a farm brewery, manufacturer permits for farm distilleries or grocery store beer permits shall be unlawful on Thanksgiving Day, New Year’s Day or Christmas; and such sale or dispensing of alcoholic liquor in places operating under package store permits, drug store permits, manufacturer permits for beer, manufacturer permits for beer and brew pubs, manufacturer permits for a farm brewery, manufacturer permits for farm distilleries and grocery store beer permits shall be unlawful on Sunday before ten o’clock a.m. and after six o’clock p.m. and on any other day before eight o’clock a.m. and after ten o’clock p.m. It shall be unlawful for the holder of a manufacturer permit for a brew pub to sell beer for consumption off the premises on the days or hours prohibited by this subsection. Any town may, by a vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which such sale shall be permissible.

(e) (1) In the case of any premises operating under a tavern permit, wherein, under the provisions of this section, the sale of alcoholic liquor is forbidden on certain days or hours of the day, or during the period when a tavern permit is suspended, it shall likewise be unlawful to keep such premises open to, or permit it to be occupied by, the public on such days or hours.

(2) In the case of any premises operating under a cafe permit, it shall be unlawful to keep such premises open to, or permit such premises to be occupied by, the public between the hours of one o’clock a.m. and six o’clock a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and between the hours of two o’clock a.m. and six o’clock a.m. on Saturday and Sunday or during any period of time when such permit is suspended, provided the sale or the dispensing or consumption of alcohol on such premises operating under such cafe permit shall be prohibited beyond the hours authorized for the sale or dispensing or consumption of alcohol for such premises under this section.

(3) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, in the case of any premises operating under a tavern or cafe permit, it shall be lawful for such premises to be open to, or be occupied by, the public when such premises is being used as a site for film, television, video or digital production eligible for a film production tax credit pursuant to section 12-217jj, provided the sale or the dispensing or consumption of alcohol on such premises operating under such tavern or cafe permit shall be prohibited beyond the hours authorized for the sale or the dispensing or consumption of alcohol for such premises under this section.

(f) The retail sale of wine and the tasting of free samples of wine by visitors and prospective retail customers of a permittee holding a manufacturer permit for a farm winery on the premises of such permittee shall be unlawful on Sunday before ten o’clock a.m. and after ten o’clock p.m. and on any other day before eight o’clock a.m. and after ten o’clock p.m. Any town may, by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which sales and the tasting of free samples of wine under this subsection shall be permissible.

(g) Notwithstanding any provision of subsection (a) of this section, food or nonalcoholic beverages may be sold, dispensed or consumed in places operating under an airport restaurant permit, an airport bar permit or an airport airline club permit, at any time, as allowed by agreement between the state of Connecticut and its lessees or concessionaires.

(h) The sale or the dispensing or consumption or the presence in glasses or other receptacles suitable to permit the consumption of alcoholic liquor by an individual in places operating under a nonprofit golf tournament permit shall be unlawful on any day prior to nine o’clock a.m. and after ten o’clock p.m.

(i) The tasting of free samples of beer by visitors of a permittee holding a manufacturing permit for beer on the premises of such permittee shall be unlawful on Sunday before eleven o’clock a.m. and after eight o’clock p.m. and on any other day before ten o’clock a.m. and after eight o’clock p.m. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the right of a holder of such permit to conduct manufacturing operations at any time. Any town may, by vote of a town meeting or ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which the tasting and free samples of beer under this subsection shall be permissible.

(j) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any permittee to continue the sale or dispensing of alcoholic liquor until the closing hour established under this section.

(k) The retail sale of wine and the tasting of free samples of wine by visitors and prospective retail customers of a permittee holding a wine festival permit or an out-of-state entity wine festival permit issued pursuant to section 30-37l or 30-37m shall be unlawful on Sunday before eleven o’clock a.m. and after eight o’clock p.m., and on any other day before ten o’clock a.m. and after eight o’clock p.m. Any town may, by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which the retail sale of wine and the tasting of free samples of wine pursuant to this subsection shall be permissible.

(l) The sale of wine at a farmers’ market by a permittee holding a farmers’ market wine sales permit pursuant to subsection (a) of section 30-37o shall be unlawful on any day before eight o’clock a.m. and after ten o’clock p.m., provided such permittee shall not sell such wine at a farmers’ market at any time during such hours that the farmers’ market is not open to the public. Any town may, by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which sales of wine under this subsection shall be permissible.

(m) Notwithstanding any provision of subsection (a) of this section, it shall be lawful for casino permittees at casinos, as defined in section 30-37k, to allow the presence of alcoholic liquor in glasses or other receptacles suitable to permit the consumption thereof by an individual at any time on its gaming facility, as defined in subsection (a) of section 30-37k, provided such alcoholic liquor shall not be served to a patron of such casino during the hours specified in subsection (a) of this section. For purposes of this section, “receptacles suitable to permit the consumption of alcoholic liquor” shall not include bottles of distilled spirits or bottles of wine.

(1949 Rev., S. 4296; 1949, March, 1950, 1951, S. 2170d; 1957, P.A. 617, S. 2; 1961, P.A. 301; February, 1965, P.A. 553, S. 12; 1967, P.A. 365, S. 4; 489; 1971, P.A. 89, S. 1; 254, S. 5; 309, S. 1; 541; 1972, P.A. 1, S. 1; 68, S. 5; 294, S. 32; P.A. 73-11; 73-533, S. 7; P.A. 74-181, S. 1, 2; 74-307, S. 12; P.A. 75-598, S. 5; P.A. 76-347, S. 6; P.A. 79-272; P.A. 80-181; 80-198, S. 1; P.A. 81-169, S. 1, 3; 81-367, S. 8, 9; P.A. 82-33, S. 1, 2; 82-299, S. 5, 6; P.A. 83-283, S. 4, 5; P.A. 84-494, S. 10, 11; 84-546, S. 80, 173; P.A. 85-380, S. 4, 10, 12; P.A. 86-403, S. 98, 132; P.A. 87-321, S. 5, 6; P.A. 89-181, S. 5, 6; P.A. 90-44; P.A. 93-139, S. 68; P.A. 95-161, S. 2; P.A. 99-159, S. 3; P.A. 00-192, S. 77, 102; P.A. 01-17, S. 1; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-1, S. 103; P.A. 05-7, S. 2; 05-226, S. 2, 3; 05-288, S. 134; P.A. 09-47, S. 6, 8; P.A. 11-164, S. 5; P.A. 12-17, S. 9–11, 15; P.A. 15-24, S. 2; 15-244, S. 82; P.A. 16-103, S. 2, 3; 16-117, S. 6; P.A. 17-90, S. 4; 17-160, S. 6; 17-232, S. 2.)

History: 1961 act permitted sale of liquor after voting hours on election days in hotel, restaurant, club and tavern permit premises; 1965 act added references to golf country club permits; 1967 acts added references to cafe permits and changed closing time for sales under package store, package store beer, drug store, drug store beer and grocery store permits from nine to eight o’clock p.m.; 1971 acts changed closing time for Sunday liquor sales under Subdiv. (a) from nine to eleven o’clock p.m., added references to charitable organization permits, prohibited sales on Saturday between two o’clock a.m. and nine o’clock a.m. and changed closing time for Sunday sales, when allowed, from one to two a.m. and prohibited sales on Independence Day (or the following Monday, if on Sunday) and Labor Day under package store, drug store and grocery store permits; 1972 acts added exception re elections at which not all electors may vote to prohibition of sales on election days, added reference to university permits and deleted provision prohibiting sales on Decoration Day; P.A. 73-11 specified that liquor may be sold on Christmas for on-premises consumption with hot meals; P.A. 73-533 added references to coliseum and coliseum concession permits; P.A. 74-181 authorized towns to allow sale of liquor on Sunday and tavern permit between noon and eleven o’clock p.m.; P.A. 74-307 added references to the various special sporting facility permits; P.A. 75-598 added provision governing times and days when sales allowed under night club permits; P.A. 76-347 added references to bowling establishment permits and specific provision regulating sales under such permits; P.A. 79-272 divided section into Subsecs. and changed location and wording of provision granting towns power to reduce hours of operation for clarity; P.A. 80-181 changed time of closing for sales period which began on Sunday from eleven o’clock that day to one a.m. on Monday; P.A. 80-198 deleted provision in Subsec. (c) which had prohibited sales of liquor on election days under tavern permit unless election is one at which not all electors may vote; P.A. 81-169 added Subsec. (e) to state the hours during which the retail sale and tasting of free samples of wine are permissible at farm wineries and to allow towns to shorten such hours; P.A. 81-367 eliminated references to package store beer permits and drug store beer permits and eliminated prohibition against sales on Good Friday; P.A. 82-33 eliminated the prohibition against liquor sales on election day, provided that liquor may be sold on the Fourth of July if it occurs on a Saturday and deleted references to “package store beer permits” and “drug store beer permits”; P.A. 82-299 amended Subsec. (a) by adding references to catering establishments; P.A. 83-283 amended Subsec. (a) by adding reference to racquetball facility permits; P.A. 84-494 added a new Subsec. (f) concerning the hours of operation of premises operating under airport restaurant permits and airport bar permits; P.A. 84-546 made technical change in Subsec. (a); P.A. 85-380 deleted provisions in Subsecs. (a) and (f) re nightclub permits and added Subsec. (g) re hours during which liquor may be served under a nonprofit golf tournament permit; P.A. 86-403 made technical changes; P.A. 87-321 amended Subsec. (f) by establishing hours and days of closing for airport airline clubs and by providing that food or nonalcoholic beverages may be sold, dispensed or consumed in places operating under any class of airport permit at any time, as allowed by agreement between the state and its lessees or concessionaires; P.A. 89-181 amended Subsec. (c) to include brew pubs; P.A. 90-44 amended Subsec. (a) to allow lane side service of alcohol in bowling alleys at two p.m. rather than five p.m.; P.A. 93-139 made technical changes, added a provision to allow towns to reduce the hours of sale in all permit premises except sales pursuant to an airport restaurant permit, airport bar permit or airport airline club permit and allowed Sunday sales in all towns; P.A. 95-161 amended Subsec. (d) to prescribe the days and hours brew pubs could sell beer for off-premise consumption and inserted new Subsec. (i) re on-premise consumption, relettering former Subsec. as (j); P.A. 99-159 amended Subsec. (e) to add Subdiv. indicators and a provision in new Subdiv. (2) to allow for one year premises operating under a manufacturer permit for a brew pub in which class III gaming takes place to remain open when the brew pub itself must be closed; P.A. 00-192 amended Subsec. (a) to add references to casino permits and caterer liquor permits, designate existing exception in Subdiv. (4) as Subpara. (A), substitute “where food is also available” for “with hot meals” in said Subpara. and add Subdiv. (4)(B) re casino permittees, effective May 26, 2000 (Revisor’s note: In Subdiv. (4)(B), a reference to “section 24 of this act” was deemed by the Revisors to be a reference to definition section 76, and codified accordingly as section “30-37k”, for accuracy); P.A. 01-17 amended Subsec. (c) by deleting references to the color or transparency of drink containers for alcoholic liquor dispensed under a bowling establishment permit; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-1 amended Subsec. (d) to change the closing hour for sales by package stores, drug stores and grocery stores from eight o’clock p.m. to nine o’clock p.m., effective August 16, 2003; P.A. 05-7 amended Subsec. (d) by adding references to manufacturer permits for a brew pub and manufacturer permits for beer and deleting provision re unlawful sale of beer for consumption off premises of brew pub, and amended Subsec. (e)(1) by adding references to manufacturer permits for beer; P.A. 05-226 repealed section 2 of P.A. 05-7 which amended Subsecs. (d) and (e), effective July 8, 2005, amended Subsec. (d) to include references to manufacturer permits for beer and amended Subsec. (e) to delete references to premises operating under a manufacturer permit for a brew pub, delete Subdiv. (1) designator and delete former Subdiv. (2) re exception for premises operating under a manufacturer permit for a brew pub in which class III gaming may be legally conducted; P.A. 05-288 made a technical change in Subsec. (g), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 09-47 made a technical change in Subsecs. (c) and (g) and added Subsec. (k) re wine festival permit and out-of-state entity wine festival permit, effective May 20, 2009, and amended Subsec. (f) by changing closing hour from 8 o’clock p.m. to 9 o’clock p.m., effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 11-164 added Subsec. (l) re hours of sale of wine at farmers’ market and municipal reduction of such hours, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-17 amended Subsec. (a) to add reference to manufacturer permits for beer and brew pubs, amended Subsec. (d) to add references to manufacturer permits for beer and brew pubs, delete provisions re sales prohibition on Decoration Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Sunday, add provision re Sunday sales hours and make a technical change, amended Subsec. (e) to designate existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and delete provisions re cafe permit therein, add Subdiv. (2) re cafe permit hours of operation and add Subdiv. (3) re opening of tavern and cafe permit premises during certain film, television, video or digital productions, amended Subsec. (l) to delete provision re unlawful Sunday wine sales at farmers’ market, and added Subsec. (m) re casino permittees, effective May 14, 2012; P.A. 15-24 amended Subsec. (c) by changing bowling establishment permit hour for sale, dispensing or consumption from 2 p.m. to 11 a.m., effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-244 amended Subsecs. (d), (f), (h) and (l) by changing closing hour from 9 o’clock p.m. to 10 o’clock p.m., amended Subsec. (d) by changing closing hour on Sunday from 5 o’clock p.m. to 6 o’clock p.m., and made a technical change in Subsec. (e)(3), effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 16-103 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “eleven o’clock a.m.” with “ten o’clock a.m.” in Subdivs. (3) and (5) and amended Subsec. (f) by replacing “ten o’clock a.m.” with “eight o’clock a.m.”, effective June 2, 2016; P.A. 16-117 amended Subsec. (f) by replacing “eleven o’clock a.m.” with “ten o’clock a.m.”, effective June 3, 2016; P.A. 17-90 amended Subsec. (h) to replace reference to 11:00 a.m. with reference to 9:00 a.m. re consumption of alcohol in places operating under nonprofit golf tournament permit, effective June 9, 2017; P.A. 17-160 amended Subsec. (d) to add references to manufacturer permits for farm brewery, effective July 7, 2017; P.A. 17-232 amended Subsec. (d) to add references to manufacturer permits for farm distilleries.