Can You Buy Beer on Sunday in South Carolina: Hours and Counties

Yes, you can buy beer on Sunday in South Carolina, but only in counties or cities that have voted to allow it. State law bans beer and wine sales from midnight Saturday through sunrise Monday by default, and that ban still applies in much of the state. Coastal and metropolitan areas have overridden it through local referendums; many rural inland counties have not. Liquor stores stay closed on Sundays everywhere.

What State Law Says by Default

Section 61-4-120 of the South Carolina Code makes it unlawful to sell beer or wine between midnight Saturday and sunrise Monday.¹ That’s the starting rule for every county and city in the state. Unless local voters have changed it, Sunday beer sales are prohibited.

The statute has one built-in exception. An establishment that already holds an on-premises liquor license under Article 5 of Chapter 6 can serve beer and wine on Sunday during the hours its liquor-by-the-drink permit authorizes.¹ So certain full-service bars and restaurants can pour a beer on Sunday even in a county that has never held a referendum.

Where Sunday Sales Are Actually Legal

The broader path to Sunday beer runs through Section 61-6-2010. A county or municipality can put the question on a general-election ballot after at least ten percent of qualified local voters (capped at 7,500 signatures) petition for it. If a majority votes yes, the Department of Revenue can begin issuing Sunday permits in that area.²

The ballot can carry two separate questions. One authorizes temporary on-premises liquor-by-the-drink permits. The other authorizes off-premises beer and wine sales “without regard to the days or hours of sales.”² A jurisdiction can pass one, both, or neither. That’s why neighboring counties can have completely different Sunday rules.

Counties where off-premises Sunday beer and wine sales are permitted include Charleston, Horry, Beaufort, Berkeley, Georgetown, York, and unincorporated Richland, along with several others. More rural inland counties have generally not held or passed a referendum, and the default ban still applies there. Once a jurisdiction has passed its vote, new permits keep issuing without holding another one.²

Buying at Grocery Stores, Gas Stations, and Convenience Stores

In a referendum county, retailers can apply for a special off-premises permit under Section 61-4-510 that lifts the day-and-hour restrictions entirely. A store carrying that permit can sell beer and wine on Sunday the same way it does on any other day.³ There is also a standard 7-day off-premises beer and wine permit (the P7B) that lets retailers sell on Sundays in authorized areas.⁴

If you’re picking up a six-pack at a grocery store or gas station on a Sunday in Charleston County or Horry County, one of these permits is what makes it possible. In a county without the referendum, the same store cannot sell beer that day.

Drinking Out on Sunday

On-premises Sunday service works two ways. Any restaurant or bar with an Article 5 liquor license can serve beer and wine during whatever hours its liquor-by-the-drink permit allows, statewide.¹ Beer-and-wine-only establishments, which don’t carry a liquor license, can only serve on Sunday if they’re in a county that passed the referendum; under Section 61-4-630, they operate during the same hours the referendum authorizes for liquor-by-the-drink permits.³ The relevant permit for a beer-and-wine bar or restaurant is the 7-day on-premises PO7.⁵

What Hours Apply on Sunday

Store hours on Sunday depend on the permit and the local rules. Retailers holding the Section 61-4-510 special off-premises permit have their day-and-hour restrictions lifted by statute, so 24-hour Sunday sales are legally possible. On-premises sellers in referendum counties follow the hours the referendum set for liquor-by-the-drink permits.³

Local ordinances often layer additional limits on top of the state framework. Some cities cut off all alcohol sales at 2:00 AM; others allow later service with special permits. If you’re trying to grab beer early on a Sunday morning, check the specific rules for the county or city you’re in. The state statutes set the ceiling; local governments frequently set a lower one.

Liquor Stores Are Closed on Sunday

Beer and wine have their Sunday exceptions. Distilled spirits do not. South Carolina prohibits Sunday liquor sales statewide, and no local referendum can currently change that. A bill introduced in February 2025 (H. 4001) would let counties hold referendums to authorize Sunday retail liquor sales between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM, but as of early 2026 it remains in the House and has not been signed into law.⁶ A Sunday trip to a liquor store is a dead end anywhere in the state until that changes.

An Unusual Case: The Saturday-Closing Permit

One narrow provision is worth knowing. Under Section 61-4-620, a business that closes every Saturday for religious reasons can apply for a special permit to sell beer and wine on Sundays instead. The owner files an affidavit with the Department of Revenue confirming the Saturday closure and pays an additional $50 fee. Opening the store on a Saturday after filing that affidavit is grounds for revoking both the Sunday permit and the underlying beer and wine license.³ It’s not common, but it exists, and it’s one more reason a specific shop’s Sunday hours may not match the county pattern.

1
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 61-4-120 – Sunday Sales; Exception
2
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 61-6-2010 – Temporary Permits Upon Referendum Vote
3
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Law Title 61 Chapter 4
4
South Carolina Department of Revenue. 7 Day Off-Premises Beer and Wine Permit P7B
5
South Carolina Department of Revenue. 7 Day On-Premises Beer and Wine Permit PO7
6
South Carolina Legislature. 2025-2026 Bill 4001 – Liquor Sales