When Can You Buy Alcohol In Illinois?

FAQs on Buying Beer, Wine & Liquor in Illinois –

• Can you buy liquor in grocery stores in Illinois?
• Yes, you can freely buy liquor for off-premise consumption in grocery stores in Illinois.
• Can you buy alcohol in gas stations in Illinois?
• Yes, you can freely buy alcohol in Illinois gas stations for off-premise consumption.
• What times can you buy liquor, wine, or beer in Illinois?

The alcohol sales times in Illinois vary per county, and some counties have a 24/7 sales policy. However, most off-premise and on-premise alcohol sales are from 7 AM to 2 AM Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 3 AM on Saturday and 8 AM to 2 AM on Sunday. Can you order alcohol to go in Illinois? Yes, you can order alcohol to go in Illinois, provided it is packaged in its original container and is delivered by a person over 21 years old.

1. Where in Illinois can buy alcohol off-premise?
2. Off-premise alcohol can be purchased in Illinois gas stations, grocery stores, package stores, and specialized liquor stores.
3. Where can buy alcohol for on-premise consumption in Illinois?
4. On-premise alcohol can be purchased in Illinois bars, restaurants, clubs, breweries, and taprooms.
5. ( Data Sources – Visit the following pages for further information:, )

Here at Park Street, we provide various services i.e. operations,, and, that allow you to focus on marketing and brand building. We handle everything else! If you’re interested in learning more about the services at Park Street Companies, then please feel free to complete the form below. : Illinois Alcoholic Beverage Sales and Laws (2023)

Can you sell alcohol at 18 in Illinois?

1. Q: What is the minimum age to sell/serve alcoholic liquor and can minors enter a bar? – A: Both answers are subject to local jurisdictional ordinances, but, at a minimum, the seller/server must be at least 18 years of age. A minor is not allowed to sell/serve alcoholic liquor.

Illinois Liquor Control Commission Rules & Regulations (Section 100.10) define a “minor” as a person under 18 years of age (per an Illinois Attorney General opinion in 1973). However, the Illinois Liquor Control Act (235 ILCS 5/6-16, 235 ILCS 5/6-16.2, and ILCS 5/4-1) allows local jurisdictional control over this matter as well as the age allowed to enter a bar/tavern (restaurants that serve alcohol are exempt from this law).

In Chicago, for example, you must be 21 to sell/serve alcohol and those under 21 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to enter a bar/tavern. Some other local jurisdictions allow all ages to enter, regardless of whether they are with a parent or legal guardian.

What are the drinking laws in Illinois?

In Illinois, it is illegal for anyone under 21 to drink alcohol. Drinking under 21 is a Class A misdemeanor, the most serious kind. It can mean a $2,500 fine and 1 year in jail. Cities may also have a law about drinking under 21.

Can you buy beer at 19 in Illinois?

Underage Drinking Charges in Illinois – In Illinois, underage drinking is considered a status offense, meaning the act is against the law because you are not old enough to do it. To buy alcohol, you must be 21 years old. However, state laws prohibiting underage drinking differ for those under the age of 18 and those over the age of 18 but not yet 21.

Buying, receiving, or possessing alcohol Using a fake ID to alter your age so you can buy alcohol Consuming alcohol

Violating these laws could result in a Class A misdemeanor. However, there are exceptions to the law. If you are under 21, you can possess, dispense, and consume alcohol during a religious service (communion, for example) or while under the direct supervision of your parents.

• If you are older than 18 but younger than 21, you can taste, but not imbibe, alcohol if you are a student attending a scheduled course and under the supervision of an instructor who is older than 21 during an educational program.
• The program, though, must be operated by an accredited school by the Department of Education or has state approval by the Board of Higher Education.

The law gives some clarity on the difference between tasting and imbibing alcohol. During the class, you can taste alcohol up to six times per class, but no more, and the alcohol must remain in the possession of the instructor when the class ends. Those rules also apply to culinary schools, fermentation science, food service, or restaurant programs, which will lead to careers that involve the serving of alcohol to customers.

When can you buy alcohol in Chicago?

Late Hour Liquor License Application Process Businesses with a Consumption or Tavern License wishing to remain open beyond the regular time of closing may obtain a Late Hour Liquor License if they meet certain criteria and follow the application process outlined below.

1. Hours of Operation The closing hour under a standard Consumption or Tavern liquor license is 2 am, Monday through Saturday, and 3 am on Sunday.
2. With a Late Hour Liquor License, those establishments are permitted to remain open until 4 am Monday through Saturday and 5 am on Sunday.
3. The legal opening time for all liquor establishments is 7 am, Monday through Saturday, and 11 am Sunday.

Restaurants (or Tavern licensees with a Retail Food License) can begin selling liquor at 9 am on Sunday. Application Process In order to apply for a Late Hour Liquor License, applicants must first hold an incidental-consumption on premises or tavern liquor license.

1. If 50 or more legal voters reside within a distance of 500 feet from the licensed premises the applicant is required to send written notice to all legal registered voters within 500 feet of the licensed premises.
2. The applicant must send notices via certified mail with a return receipt requested.
3. The Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection can provide a sample notice.

The applicant is required to submit an affidavit stating that the local voters have been notified and that written notice has been provided to the local alderman informing him/her of the late hour application. A sign containing notice of the Late Hour Liquor License application must also be posted in a secured place conspicuous from the public way.

If there are more than 50 registered voters residing within 500 ft. of the applicant’s premises, the applicant must obtain and file a petition, signed by a majority of the legal voters registered within the affected area, giving consent to the business to file a Late Hour Liquor License application. The license application must be submitted within sixty (60) days of the date the petition was signed by the first legal voter.

Please note that a majority of the legal voters living within 500 feet of the licensed premises may file a petition requesting the Commissioner of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection to suspend or revoke the Late Hour Liquor License privilege.

Can you drink at 18 with parents in Illinois?

Underage Drinking: Underage Consumption of Alcohol Consumption is prohibited WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTION(S): private residence. AND parent/guardian.

Can you serve alcohol at 18 in Chicago?

Chicago Lowers Age Requirement for Serving Alcohol

Employees 18 and older working at grocery stores and restaurants in Chicago will now be able to serve and sell alcohol.City Council voted Wednesday to let those between the ages of 18 and 20 sell unopened bottles of alcohol at grocery stores and serve booze at restaurants.While those under 21 still can’t open bottles or cans of alcohol or pour mixed drinks, they can serve it as long as they complete a program on “responsible beverage” selling and serving.Critics have argued the move would send a mixed message to young people, but supporters say it opens up more job possibilities for youth and improves the experience for consumers.

“It’s an opportunity to hopefully get more kids employed,” said Ald. Tom Tunney, who co-sponsored the ordinance. “I was doing it at 17, 18 when I was growing up and actually many municipalities and suburbs already have this in place.” The legal drinking age in Illinois is 21.

When did Illinois change the drinking age from 18 to 21?

Prior to 1933, there was no law in the state of Illinois governing the legal age for alcohol consumption. Males, in 1933, had to be 21 years of age to consume alcoholic beverages and females had to be 18 years-old. The law was changed in 1963 to establish the legal drinking age at 21 years.

Is public drinking legal in Chicago?

Drinking in Public We have come a long way from the time of prohibition in the country. Drinking has been legalized in private settings and indoors in the state of Illinois. Nonetheless, drinking in public is still seen as socially irresponsible and an affront to civilized behavior.

It is not just the act of drinking that is seen as an offense. Carrying an open container of alcohol in a public space, such as public transport, is also an offense. This would hold in court even if you were not actually drinking the alcoholic contents. State Legislation The legislation regarding alcohol consumption and carrying in public is covered under various Illinois statutes.

Chicago statute 8-4-030 states that it is unlawful for any person to drink any alcoholic liquor in public or in a motor vehicle upon a public way in the city.

• The law also prohibits a person from transporting, carrying, possessing or having alcoholic liquor in or about any motor vehicle upon a public way except in the original package with unbroken seal or in a properly sealed package inside a bag.
• According to 625 ILCS 5/11-502, a driver is not allowed to carry, transport, possess or have any alcoholic liquor within the motor vehicle except in the original container and unbroken seal.
• 235 ILCS 5/6-33 states that a licensed restaurant may permit a patron to remove one bottle of partially consumed alcohol from the premises on the condition that the bottle is securely sealed by the licensee and placed in a bag.

Punishments Violation of the public drinking and carrying laws can be charged as a Class B misdemeanor. Offenders can be sentenced for up to 6 months in prison and a fine of $100 to $500. While the punishment for public drinking is not as harsh as other offenses, it should be noted that the charge is usually brought together with related offenses by the prosecution.

Related charges could be causing disturbance to peace and order, resisting an officer, driving under influence, attempted assault and drug possession. Even a minor conviction can lead to creating a criminal record for the offender. The state of Illinois treats repeat offenders very harshly and minor misdemeanor charges could lead to more serious convictions under habitual juvenile offender laws.

Considerations Most people that get charged with public drinking in Illinois belong to one of three categories.

1. Underage drinkers
2. People caught driving under influence
3. Highly intoxicated people that are causing public disturbance

The law enforcement agencies don’t usually take public drinking offenses very seriously unless they know the person may also be charged with another offense. It usually isn’t worth the effort to arrest someone who is carrying an open can of beer or drinking quietly on the bus without causing any disturbance.

That of course does not mean that an officer cannot arrest the person. They simply choose not to because the case will likely get thrown out if the defendant gets a good legal counsel. The people that do get arrested more often are minors and teenagers who are caught with alcohol. Drinking and even carrying a sealed bottle of alcohol may land an unaccompanied teenager in trouble with the law.

It could be devastating to a young person to get a criminal record before the age of 18. The second category of people that gets commonly charged with possession and drinking is motor vehicle drivers. Driving under influence is strictly prohibited. It is a punishable offense as drunk drivers are a threat to their own safety and the safety of others around them.

• It should be noted that even the possession of unsealed alcohol in the vehicle can be grounds for an arrest and conviction.
• For instance, if the police officers stop a car and see an open can of beer on the dashboard or a half-drunk bottle of wine on the passenger seat, they can arrest the driver even when he or she has not been drinking alcohol.

Examples and Court Cases While making a visible display of unsealed alcohol is openly asking for trouble, there are also instances where the police officers go over their authority and make an unnecessary arrest. The fourth amendment gives every citizen the right of feeling secure in their property and protects against unreasonable search and seizures.

Suppose that you are driving on the road with an unsealed bottle of wine lying inside your dashboard. The police officers signal for you to stop for a traffic violation. They detect no sign of drinking but choose to make you take a sobriety test and find that you are completely sober. One of the officers opens the dashboard and finds the half consumed bottle inside.

If the police then charge you for carrying unsealed alcohol with you, the case would not hold in court. Police officers are not authorized to perform search without probable cause, unless you give them a reason to search you first. Suppose that you fail the sobriety test or the wine inside the compartment starts leaking, giving a strong smell of alcohol presence in the car.

These could be presented as probable causes to search the vehicle. Possible Legal Defenses Drinking publicly is a crime in the city of Chicago and most places in Illinois. If you are walking on the street drinking from a can of beer or open bottle of wine, the police have the right to arrest you under the law.

There are three possible defenses open to people charged with public drinking and carrying alcohol openly. The first defense is to deny that the accused was drunk. For this defense to hold, the defendant should not have acted in a manner that makes them seem drunk.

The police usually gets video footage of such incidents these days and the burden of proof is on the defendant to prove sobriety at the time of the arrest. The second defense is to argue that the accused was not in a public place. Drinking in private, like your home or a friend’s private party is legal in Illinois.

Based on the circumstances of the case this defense is an option. Another defense available in limited cases is to deny that the accused was actually drinking at the time of the arrest. The most important piece of evidence in public drinking charges is an unsealed bottle or container of alcohol.

If this evidence is missing or compromised, the case would not hold ground. Questioning the validity of whether the container was actually open plays an important part in public drinking trials. It should be noted that public drinking is very different from driving under influence. Court charges and legal defenses in either case are distinct from one another.

: Drinking in Public

Can I serve alcohol at 19 in Illinois?

Can you serve alcohol at 18? – Yes, most states will allow you to serve alcohol at 18. However, this may be impacted by state and city regulations. For example, in Illinois, you can serve alcohol at 18, but in Chicago, you need to be 21. Therefore, you should check the city website to see the regulations listed.

Can you drink in the US at 18?

Rates of drinking and binge drinking among those under 21 – The 2019 found that among high school students, 29% drank alcohol and 14% binge drank during the past 30 days.14 In 2021, the reported that 7% of 8th graders and 26% of 12th graders drank alcohol during the past 30 days, and 3% of 8th graders and 12% of 12th graders binge drank during the past 2 weeks.15 In 2014, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the New York State Liquor Authority found that more than half (58%) of the licensed alcohol retailers in the City sold alcohol to underage decoys.17 Communities can enhance the effectiveness of age 21 MLDA laws by actively enforcing them.

• A Community Guide review found that enhanced enforcement of laws prohibiting alcohol sales to minors reduced the ability of youthful-looking decoys to purchase alcoholic beverages by a median of 42%.16
• Alcohol sales to minors are still a common problem in communities.

1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration., Washington, DC.2001.
2. Committee on Substance Abuse, Kokotailo PK., Pediatrics,2010;125(5):1078-1087.
3. DeJong W, Blanchette J., J Stud Alcohol Drugs,2014;75 Suppl 17:108-115.
4. Task Force on Community Preventive Services., Am J Prev Med,2001;21(4 Suppl):16-22.
5. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Why 21? 2018;, Accessed May 3, 2018.
6. Shults RA, Elder RW, Sleet DA, et al., Am J Prev Med,2001;21(4 Suppl):66-88.
7. Serdula MK, Brewer RD, Gillespie C, Denny CH, Mokdad A., Am J Prev Med,2004;26(4):294-298
8. National Prevention Council., Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 2011.
9. Bonnie RJ and O’Connell ME, editors. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine., Committee on Developing a Strategy to Reduce and Prevent Underage Drinking. Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2004.
10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)., Accessed April 19, 2022.
11. Sacks JJ, Gonzales KR, Bouchery EE, Tomedi LE, Brewer RD., Am J Prev Med,2015;49(5):e73-79.
12. Miller JW, Naimi TS, Brewer RD, Jones SE., Pediatrics,2007;119(1):76-85.
13. Department of Health and Human Services. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General;2007.
14. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR Suppl 2020;69(1):1–83.
15. Johnston LD, Miech RA, O’Malley PM, Bachman JG, Schulenberg JE, Patrick ME., Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan; 2022.
16. Elder R, Lawrence B, Janes G, et al., Transportation Research E-Circular,2007;E-C123:181-188.
17. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene., Accessed October 18, 2016.

: Age 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age

When was the drinking age 18 in the US?

Why did Congress pass the national drinking age act? – After Prohibition, nearly all states adopted a minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) of 21. Between 1970 and 1975, however, 29 states lowered the MLDA to 18, 19, or 20, largely in response to the change in the voting age.

Studies conducted at the time showed that youth traffic crashes increased as states lowered their MLDA. In addition, the “blood borders” between states with different MLDAs caught public attention after highly-publicized crashes in which youth below the legal drinking age would drive to an adjoining state with a lower MLDA, drink legally, and crash on their way home.

Advocacy groups urged states to raise their MLDA to 21. Several did so in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but others did not. To encourage a national drinking age, Congress enacted the national MLDA. A review by the U.S. General Accounting Office, conducted in 1988, found that raising the drinking age reduced youth drinking, youth driving after drinking, and alcohol-related traffic accidents among youth.

Can you buy alcohol anytime in Illinois?

FAQs on Buying Beer, Wine & Liquor in Illinois –

• Can you buy liquor in grocery stores in Illinois?
• Yes, you can freely buy liquor for off-premise consumption in grocery stores in Illinois.
• Can you buy alcohol in gas stations in Illinois?
• Yes, you can freely buy alcohol in Illinois gas stations for off-premise consumption.
• What times can you buy liquor, wine, or beer in Illinois?

The alcohol sales times in Illinois vary per county, and some counties have a 24/7 sales policy. However, most off-premise and on-premise alcohol sales are from 7 AM to 2 AM Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 3 AM on Saturday and 8 AM to 2 AM on Sunday. Can you order alcohol to go in Illinois? Yes, you can order alcohol to go in Illinois, provided it is packaged in its original container and is delivered by a person over 21 years old.

1. Where in Illinois can buy alcohol off-premise?
2. Off-premise alcohol can be purchased in Illinois gas stations, grocery stores, package stores, and specialized liquor stores.
3. Where can buy alcohol for on-premise consumption in Illinois?
4. On-premise alcohol can be purchased in Illinois bars, restaurants, clubs, breweries, and taprooms.
5. ( Data Sources – Visit the following pages for further information:, )

Here at Park Street, we provide various services i.e. operations,, and, that allow you to focus on marketing and brand building. We handle everything else! If you’re interested in learning more about the services at Park Street Companies, then please feel free to complete the form below. : Illinois Alcoholic Beverage Sales and Laws (2023)

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What are the blue laws in Chicago?

What Are Blue Laws? – Blue laws prohibit certain activities, such as going to the movies, on Sundays. Their purpose? To promote the observance of a day of worship or rest. ​ ​While presumably outdated in the 21st century (and arguably unconstitutional), blue laws are still in effect in states like these that prohibit selling alcohol on Sundays before noon.

Is it no alcohol after 9 in Chicago?

Chicago has officially banned liquor sales after midnight Remember when you could snag booze from Chicago liquor stores until 2am or 3am? Those halcyon days are officially over: After moving the curfew to 9pm (and later 11pm) just after the Illinois stay-at-home order went into effect last year, Chicago’s City Council has voted to permanently cut off liquor sales in the city at midnight.

The ban only applies to packaged goods—bars and restaurants will still be able to serve alcohol late into the evening. The new curfew is part of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s “Chi Biz Strong” ordinance that made its way through City Council this week, a sprawling initiative that’s meant to help businesses recover from COVID-19 losses.

Initially, the ordinance, which Lightfoot later walked back to midnight after receiving pushback from aldermen, locals and business owners. “We believe a midnight closure is a reasonable compromise that addresses the serious nuisance issues raised by late-night liquor sales without unduly burdening our business community, and I continue to look forward to working with all stakeholders to make our city as safe and vibrant as possible,” Lightfoot said in a statement earlier this month.

• Other new changes in the ordinance include grant-funded financial and debt relief for businesses, a cap on the fees that third-party delivery services can charge to restaurants, increased wage theft protections and other business-related initiatives.
• A controversial provision about signs and permitting has been separated from the ordinance and pushed to a vote on a later date.

The midnight liquor curfew goes in effect immediately, so feel free to push your beer runs a little later starting tonight—just not quite as late as they could have been a year and a half ago. : Chicago has officially banned liquor sales after midnight

Can an 18 date a 17 in Illinois?

Consent in Illinois – In the state of Illinois, there is an age of consent. That age is 17 years old. What that means is that anyone over the age of 17 can freely engage in sexual activity with a partner, but anyone under that age is deemed legally unable to give their consent. Having sex with them can lead to criminal charges for sex crimes.

Is 18 and 17 illegal in Illinois?

Under Illinois law, a person must be at least 17 years of age in order to give consent; it is illegal in Illinois for a person 18 or older to commit sexual acts on a person under the age of 18 if they have a position of authority or trust over the victim.

Is 16 and 18 legal in Illinois?

Joliet Sex Offense Criminal Attorney – Under Illinois law, the age of consent for any type of sexual activity is, typically, 17 years. This means anyone younger than 17 years of age cannot lawfully consent to any type of sex act involving sexual conduct. Sexual conduct is the touching of any sex organ of another.

Voluntary sexual activity with someone younger than 17 is not “consensual” sexual activity as far as Illinois law is concerned. At this age, “consent” is a legal term, not a factual term. To be blunt, a 17 year old boyfriend who touches, for his sexual gratification, the breasts of his 16 year old girlfriend has committed a sex crime, which could put him on the Illinois sex offender registration list.

Actually, any voluntary sexual activity between two 16 year olds could put both of them on the sex offender registration list. Such sexual activity is a crime for which both could be prosecuted, if there was mutual sexual conduct because the “age of consent” has not been reached.

Prosecution for the examples cited above are rare, but they illustrate the nature of Illinois’ age of consent law. An arrest and criminal prosecution is much more likely when there is any type of disparity in age, An affirmative defense to any sex crime where the “victim” is under the age of consent is that the accused reasonably believed that the “victim” was of legal age.

In other words, the accused had a valid reason to believe that the other persons age was at, or beyond, the legal age of consent. If a person is in a “position of supervision” of another, the age of consent becomes 18 years of age. A position of authority can include a coach, teacher, church leader, or any other position where a claim can be made that the accused was an authority figure of the other.

Is happy hour legal in Illinois?

Overview of ‘Happy Hour’ Rules Licensees can reduce drink prices for up to 4 hours in any one-day, and no more than 15 total hours a week. The 4 hours a day need not be consecutive, but they cannot occur between 10:00 pm and the licensed premise’s closing hour.

Can you serve alcohol at 18 in California?

Legal age to pour alcohol: The legal age for bartenders and cocktail servers is 21. When alcohol is served in a place where the primary service is food, and alcohol is an incidental part of the server’s overall duties, individuals 18 and over can pour alcohol. The same designations listed above apply here.

Can a 16 year old serve alcohol in Michigan?

— Minors as young as 16 in Michigan can now work at businesses that sell alcohol and handle the alcohol that’s sold. Gov.

Can I serve alcohol at 19 in Illinois?

Can you serve alcohol at 18? – Yes, most states will allow you to serve alcohol at 18. However, this may be impacted by state and city regulations. For example, in Illinois, you can serve alcohol at 18, but in Chicago, you need to be 21. Therefore, you should check the city website to see the regulations listed.

What can happen if you sell alcohol to a minor in Illinois?

If you serve/sell a minor alcohol, it is a Class A misdemeanor and can include up to one year in jail and a fine not less than $500. A second offense would involve a fine not less than $2,000. If you serve/sell a minor alcohol and great bodily injury or death occurs because of it, it is a Class 4 felony.

Can you serve alcohol at 18 in California?

Legal age to pour alcohol: The legal age for bartenders and cocktail servers is 21. When alcohol is served in a place where the primary service is food, and alcohol is an incidental part of the server’s overall duties, individuals 18 and over can pour alcohol. The same designations listed above apply here.

Can an 18 year old sell alcohol in Oklahoma?

If you are 21 or older, you can work as a bartender and/or serve alcohol in Oklahoma. If you are 18, you are legally permitted to work in a restaurant that serves alcohol, however you are not allowed to serve or prepare it.