Ohio’s liquor laws could put a damper on your New Year’s Eve celebration

Ohio’s liquor laws regarding Sunday sales of alcohol could throw a wet towel on your Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve celebrations — unless you plan ahead. FILE

Ohio’s liquor laws regarding Sunday sales of alcohol could throw a wet towel on your Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve celebrations — unless you plan ahead. FILE
What to Know
By Mark Fisher
Dec 13, 2017
X

Ohio’s liquor laws limiting Sunday sales of alcohol could throw a wet towel on your Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve celebrations — unless you plan ahead.

This year, both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve fall on a Sunday. That means some liquor permit holders won’t be able to sell alcohol on one of the busiest retail sales days of the year. And consumers may be disappointed if they wait until the last minute to buy their high-powered liquid party supplies.

4 delicious sparkling wines for $25 or under

“We started getting inquiries from permit holders in September,” Lindsey Leberth, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control, told this news outlet.

The bottom line for retailers, Leberth said: If you can’t sell it on Sundays now, you won’t be able to sell it on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve.

CHRISTMAS DINING: Here’s a list of local restaurants that are open on the holiday

"There are no exceptions in Ohio law for a temporary change in authorized sales privileges due to holidays, special events, or extraordinary circumstances," the agency cautions on its web site.

One of Dayton’s favorite bartenders shows you how to wow your guests for the holidays

Those retail shops that are already operating under the state liquor agency’s “D-6” permit — and which are not blocked by a local option/precinct-level Sunday sales limitation — won’t have any problems. They’re already authorized to sell alcohol on Sundays, just as they can Monday through Saturday. The hours may be a bit more abbreviated, though: The D-6 license authorizes the sale of intoxicating liquor on Sundays starting at either 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. until midnight, a narrower window than weekdays and Saturdays.

So plan ahead, check with your local retailer, and don’t end up with a “Sunday Surprise.” Then, consume responsibly.

In Other News
1
Follow Santa Claus with satellites and radar
2
Fitness trends for 2025 spurred by technology
3
Day Yoga adds third location with new studio in Washington Twp.
4
Friday the 13th: What is so unlucky about it?
5
Happy birthday Dorothy Lane Market! What to know about its history

About the Author

Mark Fisher, a 1981 graduate of Ohio State University and a 1976 graduate of Beavercreek High School, is a third-generation Dayton-area resident who has worked for the Dayton Daily News since 1983. He covered higher education and K-12 education accountability issues for nearly 20 years before taking over the food and dining beat in 2006.