Michigan has its own beer laws, but they’re easy to follow and allow for convenient beer purchases. What are Michigan’s beer laws and what should people know about them?
Keep reading for a complete guide to Michigan’s beer laws, where you can buy beer, and under what circumstances.
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Is Michigan a dry state?
A dry state is one where alcohol and the sale of it are illegal or significantly restricted. Michigan, along with the other 50 states, is not a dry state.
Michigan is not a dry state. Oak Park County allows only twenty restaurants to obtain a tavern license but is still considered a wet county.
Michigan has no officially dry counties.
Does Michigan have any dry counties?
Michigan has only one partially dry county.
Oak Park is Michigan’s closest thing to a dry county. It allows only 20 restaurants to obtain tavern licenses, a license that permits the sale of alcohol for on-premise consumption in Michigan.
There are no other dry counties in Michigan.
When can you buy beer in Michigan?
Michigan has set rules in place at the state level for both on- and off-premise locations regarding alcohol sales times.
In Michigan, you can buy beer from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Saturday at any licensed location. Counties and smaller localities are allowed to vote for stricter sales times. Sunday sales are allowed with a permit. Beer cannot be sold at any location between 11:59 p.m. on December 24 and noon on December 25.
The following information pertains to Michigan’s state-level alcohol laws and specific Sunday sales laws.
Can you buy beer on Sunday in Michigan?
Sunday sales are not permitted for on- or off-premise locations in Michigan without one or two proper permits.
On Sundays in Michigan, any on- or off-premise licensee can sell beer between the hours of 7 a.m. and 2 a.m. with the proper “AM” or “PM” permits. These permits allow licensees to sell alcohol from 7 a.m. to noon and noon to midnight, respectively. Locations are allowed to purchase both permits but cannot sell on Sundays without at least one.
Beer cannot be purchased before noon on Christmas Day and on-premise licensees can sell alcohol until 4 a.m. on January 1 and can resume selling at 7 a.m. after a three-hour closing period.
When do bars close in Michigan?
Bars are required to close in Michigan at the same time as retail locations.
In Michigan, bars are legally required to close at 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday. By default, bars are required to close on Sunday unless they have an AM or PM permit. With these permits, they can open from 7 a.m. to noon and/or noon to midnight, respectively.
Only bars with the proper permits are open on Sundays.
Where can you buy beer in Michigan?
Michigan offers various locations to buy beer.
Beer is readily available in various locations in Michigan, including:
- Bars and restaurants
- Gas stations
- Grocery stores
- Package and liquor stores
- Breweries and taprooms.
The hours of operation for each of these locations are very similar, but note that each location can set its hours as long as they follow Michigan’s sales times laws.
Continue reading for more detailed information on buying beer from each of these locations.
Bars and restaurants
Bars and restaurants may serve cans, bottles, and drafts of beer for on-premise consumption. They also offer off-premise sales with the purchase of food.
Bars and restaurants in Michigan can sell beer from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Sundays as long as they obtain the proper permits.
Just recently, Michigan passed a bill allowing self-serving options at bars and restaurants. In Michigan, pours for individuals are limited to 96 ounces or six pints of beer.
Gas stations
Until 2016, gas stations on the same property as a grocery store of the same company were not allowed to sell alcohol. Now, these gas stations are permitted to sell alcohol.
Gas stations in Michigan are permitted to sell beer from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Sundays with proper permits.
You can buy beer at Michigan gas stations in cans and bottles of various sizes, including 12 oz. 6-packs or 19.2 oz singles.
Grocery stores
Grocery stores in Michigan can sell beer from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Sundays with the proper permit.
Grocery stores can sell beer in cans or bottles.
Package and liquor stores
Package and liquor stores in Michigan can sell beer from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Sundays with proper permits.
They can sell beer after noon on Christmas Day. These retail locations can also fill growlers if they hold a Specially Designated Merchant license and a Specially Designated Distributor license.
Breweries and taprooms
Breweries and taprooms in Michigan can sell beer from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Sundays with proper permits.
They can sell beer in cans, bottles, and on draft. They can also sell containers to-go, including properly packaged growlers.
Can you get beer delivered in Michigan?
Beer delivery is available in Michigan, but only certain locations with qualifying licenses can deliver.
Restaurants and bars can have beer delivered in a qualified or original container if the establishment holds a Specially Designated Merchant license. Manufacturers such as breweries can have beer delivered to their customers.
A more detailed guide to beer delivery in Michigan is available here.
What is the minimum drinking age in Michigan?
The minimum drinking age in the United States is 21 years old. Some states allow to consumption of alcohol under the supervision of family members during dinner or for religious events. Michigan, however, is not one of them.
The legal drinking age in Michigan is 21 years old.
There is no exception to this law in Michigan.
Can minors drink beer in Michigan with parents?
Some states allow minors to drink with their parents at dinner or for religious purposes, but not Michigan.
Minors can not drink beer in Michigan for any reason. The minimum drinking age in Michigan is 21 with no exceptions.
Furnishing a minor with alcohol in Michigan is illegal and a misdemeanor.
Drinking laws in Michigan
Michigan’s laws are fairly straightforward and, since there are no dry counties, sales times and other regulations are easily interpreted.
In just about any Michigan county or locality, you can buy beer in grocery stores, gas stations, bars, and restaurants. Michigan’s drinking laws permit growler fills at on- and off-premise locations.
Michigan’s drinking laws are relatively lenient compared to some states. This hugely benefits its craft beer presence and the state’s pioneering footprint in the industry.
Can you buy growlers and other unsealed beer containers in Michigan?
Does Michigan permit the sale of growlers?
Yes, you can buy growlers in Michigan. Growlers can be sold by breweries and other on-premise licensees who also have a take-out beer and wine license, AKA a Specially Designated Merchant license.
Open container
In Michigan, a passenger may not have an open container unless it is in the trunk of the vehicle or an area “not normally occupied by the operator or a passenger.”
Passengers over the age of 21 in a commercial vehicle are permitted to have open containers.
Driving
Driving while under the influence of alcohol is illegal in Michigan.
The blood alcohol content limit may not exceed 0.08% without a penalty.
Under 21 years old
The legal BAC limit for drinking and driving in Michigan for those 21 years old and under is 0.02%.
For those under the age of 21, a BAC equal to or greater than 0.02% in Michigan is illegal and can result in a minimum of 360 hours of community service and a $250 fine.
Minors cannot possess even an unopened can of beer while operating a motor vehicle. Violation of this law can result in a misdemeanor.
21 years and over
The legal BAC limit for drinking and driving in Michigan for those 21 years old and older is 0.08%.
A BAC equal to or greater than 0.08% in Michigan is illegal and can result in:
- Up to a $500 fine
- Up to 93 days in jail
- Up to 360 hours of community service
- Up to a 180-day license suspension
- 6 points on a driver’s license
Summary of Michigan’s beer and alcohol laws
You can buy bottles, cans, kegs, and draft beer in Michigan from retail locations, bars, and restaurants Monday through Saturday. These locations can sell beer from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Retailers may obtain a special permit for both (or either) day and night Sunday sales within the same hours. Beer delivery is available.
