Sunday alcohol sales in Georgia are legal only in counties and cities that voted to allow them, and the hours depend on what you’re buying. Package stores, grocery stores, and convenience stores can sell from 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Restaurants and bars can serve from 12:30 p.m. until midnight, or from 11:00 a.m. if the community also adopted the Brunch Bill. In communities that never approved Sunday sales, none of this applies and Sundays remain dry.
Sunday Hours for Stores
Off-premises retailers in jurisdictions that approved Sunday sales can sell beer, wine, and liquor between 12:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on Sundays.1Paulding County, GA. Amendments to Alcohol Ordinance Regarding Sunday Sales of Alcoholic Beverages The 12:30 p.m. start is fixed by state law. No Georgia jurisdiction can move package sales earlier, so if you walk into a grocery store at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday hoping to grab a bottle of wine, you’ll be told to come back after 12:30.
That window is the same whether the store is a liquor store, a supermarket, or a gas station. What varies is whether the store’s city or county authorized Sunday package sales at all. Some communities approved them years ago. Others approved by-the-drink sales for restaurants but voted down package sales, or never held a referendum on either.
Sunday Hours for Restaurants and Bars
On-premises establishments in communities that approved Sunday sales by the drink can serve from 12:30 p.m. until midnight.2Justia Law. Georgia Code 3-3-7 – Local Authorization and Regulation of Sunday Sales of Alcoholic Beverages That’s the default window. Many jurisdictions have since pushed the start time earlier by adopting the Brunch Bill.
Walker County is a useful example of the split. Sunday by-the-drink sales run 11:00 a.m. to midnight, while package sales run 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.3Walker County, GA Official Government Site. Sunday Alcohol Sales Now Legal in Walker County Same day, same county, two different opening times depending on whether you’re drinking there or taking a bottle home.
The Brunch Bill and the 11 A.M. Start
Governor Nathan Deal signed Senate Bill 17, the “Brunch Bill,” in May 2018. It lets restaurants begin serving alcohol at 11:00 a.m. on Sundays instead of 12:30 p.m., but only for establishments that qualify as eating establishments — those deriving at least 50 percent of total annual gross revenue from prepared meals or food.2Justia Law. Georgia Code 3-3-7 – Local Authorization and Regulation of Sunday Sales of Alcoholic Beverages A bar that doesn’t hit the food-revenue threshold doesn’t get the earlier start.
The Brunch Bill also doesn’t apply automatically. Each community has to hold its own referendum to adopt it. Richmond and Columbia Counties approved it in November 2018.4WRDW. Brunch Bill Passes in Grovetown Others have taken years or never put it on the ballot. And regardless of local action, the Brunch Bill changes nothing for package stores. They stay locked at 12:30 p.m.
Why Your County or City Matters
Georgia has no statewide rule that Sunday sales are legal. The state’s blanket ban was lifted in 2011, but instead of legalizing Sunday sales outright, the law lets each county and city decide by ballot. A referendum on Sunday package sales is separate from one on Sunday sales by the drink under O.C.G.A. § 3-3-7(j)(1), so a community can approve one without the other.2Justia Law. Georgia Code 3-3-7 – Local Authorization and Regulation of Sunday Sales of Alcoholic Beverages Approval requires a simple majority of votes cast on the question, and after a measure passes, the local government adopts an ordinance setting hours and conditions.
The result is a patchwork. Atlanta, Savannah, Athens, and other cities with strong hospitality economies approved Sunday sales early and adopted the Brunch Bill soon after. Some rural counties voted no. Others have never held a vote and remain fully dry on Sundays. Two neighboring counties can operate under completely different rules. Before opening a business or planning an event, confirm the rules for your exact city or county rather than assuming they match the nearest larger city.
Sunday Delivery
Georgia authorizes delivery of malt beverages (beer) and wine by licensed packaged goods retailers and approved third-party services under O.C.G.A. § 3-3-10. Delivery personnel must complete sales and delivery training through a program approved by the Georgia Department of Revenue, and the department can inspect vehicles or premises without a warrant.5Justia Law. Georgia Code 3-3-10 – Delivery of Malt Beverages and Wine by Packaged Goods Retailers and Third Parties
Sunday deliveries follow the same hours as package sales in the local jurisdiction. If your area allows Sunday package sales from 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., deliveries have to fall within that window. An order placed at 11 a.m. on Sunday can’t legally be fulfilled until 12:30 p.m.
Who Can Serve or Sell Alcohol
Georgia law sets 18 as the minimum age to serve, sell, or take orders for alcoholic beverages in a restaurant, bar, or similar establishment.6FindLaw. Georgia Code Title 3 Alcoholic Beverages 3-3-24 There’s an exception for off-premises sales: employees under 18 can handle and sell packaged alcohol at supermarkets, convenience stores, breweries, and drugstores. So a 17-year-old cashier can ring up a six-pack at a grocery store, but that same 17-year-old cannot serve drinks at a restaurant.
Georgia does not require alcohol server training at the state level, though some municipalities, including Savannah, impose their own mandatory training. If you employ servers, check your local ordinance.
Penalties for Selling Outside Permitted Hours
Selling alcohol outside permitted Sunday hours, or selling on Sunday in a jurisdiction that never approved it, creates both administrative and criminal risk. The Georgia Department of Revenue can suspend or revoke an alcohol license, and a suspended business cannot sell any alcohol until the license is reinstated. For tax-related violations, the department issues a citation and sets a hearing date; the licensee must pay the full liability before the hearing or face suspension at the hearing itself.7Department of Revenue. License Suspension or Revocation for Tax Delinquency Policy Bulletin
Violations under Georgia’s Title 3 are generally misdemeanors, which under standard sentencing can mean up to 12 months in jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both. Repeat or aggravated violations may be treated as misdemeanors of a high and aggravated nature. For most businesses, the license suspension is the harder blow. Losing the ability to sell alcohol for weeks or months does more financial damage than the fine.
Licensing Basics
State license fees from the Department of Revenue are modest: $200 per year for a retail dealer or package store license, $50 for a retail malt beverage license, and $50 for a retail wine license.8Department of Revenue. License Fees Local jurisdictions add their own fees and application costs on top. The Department of Revenue processes state and local applications through its Centralized Alcohol Licensing Portal.9Department of Revenue. Alcohol
There is no separate state “Sunday endorsement” fee. To sell on Sundays you need the appropriate base license and you need to be operating in a jurisdiction that approved Sunday sales. Some local governments do charge additional fees or require a specific Sunday sales permit at the municipal level.
Election Day and Christmas
Two other dates worth knowing about: election days and Christmas. Under O.C.G.A. § 3-3-20, alcohol sales are legal on election days by default in any area that already authorized sales, with “day” defined as the period from the opening of the polls to their closing. A local government can prohibit election-day sales by ordinance, but unless it has done so, licensed businesses can sell during election hours.10Justia Law. Georgia Code 3-3-20 – Sale of Alcoholic Beverages on Sundays, Election Days, and Christmas Day The same statute addresses Christmas Day, and local jurisdictions may set their own rules on that date as well. If you sell alcohol, check your local ordinance before assuming Christmas sales are permitted.