LocalAlcoholLaws.com | Your guide to local alcohol laws across the United States

Since 1937, the sale of alcoholic beverages on Sunday has been generally prohibited under Georgia state law. A number of exceptions have been created over the years, most of which deal with service of alcoholic beverages by bars and restaurants for consumption on the premises. For example, cities and counties can decide by referendum to allow restaurants—defined as businesses that derive at least half of their revenue from food prepared and served on-site—to serve alcoholic beverages beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday (unless a later start time is set by local ordinance).

Sunday package sales, however, did not become a possibility until 2011, when the legislature passed a bill allowing local referendums similar to those already being held for restaurants. State law limits the hours of sale to between 12:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., and these hours can be further restricted (but not expanded) by local ordinance.

(In some Georgia cities and counties, there are no restrictions on the hours of sale for packaged beer and wine between Monday and Saturday. When combined with a favorable referendum on Sunday package sales, this can create an odd situation where the sale of packaged beer and wine is legal until 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, then illegal for 30 minutes, and then legal again at midnight.)

Note that some cities and counties do not allow liquor to be sold in package stores, or served in bars and restaurants, or both. Where that is the case, a favorable Sunday referendum applies only to beer and wine. In places that do allow liquor sales, a favorable Sunday referendum will in most cases allow liquor to be sold on Sunday as well, although there are some limited exceptions.