An Act To Amend the Authorized Hours during Which Liquor May Be Sold and Purchased
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0015
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: GILBERT, PATRICK, BLACK, HARVELL, KNIGHT, LAJOIE, SHORT, STANLEY, THERIAULT
Amends: 28-A MRSA §4, 28-A MRSA §353, 28-A MRSA §1077, 28-A MRSA §1355-A

Legislative Document 
No. 15 
H.P. 19 
House of Representatives, January 15, 2013 
An Act To Amend the Authorized Hours during Which Liquor May 
Be Sold and Purchased 
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative GILBERT of Jay. 
Cosponsored by Senator PATRICK of Oxford and 
Representatives: BLACK of Wilton, HARVELL of Farmington, KNIGHT of Livermore Falls, 
LAJOIE of Lewiston, McCABE of Skowhegan, SHORT of Pittsfield, STANLEY of Medway, 
THERIAULT of Madawaska. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  28-A MRSA §4, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2001, c. 21, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
1.  Hours for sale of liquor.  Except as provided in paragraphs A to B and D, 
licensees may sell or deliver liquor from 6 5 a.m. on any day until 1 a.m. of the following 
day. 
A.  Licensees may not sell liquor on Sunday between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. 
B.  Licensees may sell liquor on January 1st of any year from 12 midnight to 2 a.m. 
(1)  In areas in which liquor may be sold except on Sundays, if January 1st falls 
on a Monday, licensees may sell or deliver liquor between 9 p.m. Sunday, 
December 31st and 2 a.m. January 1st, notwithstanding any local option 
decisions to the contrary. 
D.  Wholesale licensees may sell or deliver liquor to licensed establishments from 4 
a.m. on any day until 1 a.m. the following day. 
Sec. 2.  28-A MRSA §4, sub-§§5 and 6, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 45, Pt. A, §4, 
are repealed. 
Sec. 3.  28-A MRSA §353, as amended by PL 1997, c. 373, §40, is further 
amended to read: 
§353.  Business hours 
State liquor stores and agency liquor stores may be open for the sale and delivery of 
liquor between the hours of 6 5 a.m. and 1 a.m. in municipalities and unincorporated 
places that have voted in favor of the operation of state liquor stores under local option 
provisions.  Notwithstanding any local option decisions to the contrary, state liquor stores 
and agency liquor stores may be open from 9 5 a.m. Sunday to 1 a.m. the next day.  The 
alcohol bureau shall establish the hours of operation of each state liquor store. 
Sec. 4.  28-A MRSA §1077, sub-§2, ¶C, as amended by PL 1997, c. 656, §3, is 
further amended to read: 
C.  A vessel licensed to sell liquor under this section may sell liquor on Sundays only 
between the hours of 9:00 5 a.m. and midnight on inland waters and when operated 
within the 3-mile limit on coastal waters. 
Sec. 5.  28-A MRSA §1355-A, sub-§2, ¶E, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 629, §22, 
is amended to read: 
E.  A licensee may serve complimentary samples of liquor on Sunday after the hour 
of 9 5 a.m. and may sell liquor on Sunday after the hour of 9 5 a.m. if the 
municipality in which the licensed premises is located has authorized the sale of 
liquor on Sunday for consumption off the premises under chapter 5. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows a holder of a liquor license to sell or deliver liquor from 5 a.m. on 
any day until 1 a.m. of the following day except in those areas in which liquor may not be 
sold on Sundays.  The bill also amends sections of law that deal with the sale of liquor on 
Sundays to reflect this change.