An Act To Amend the Authorized Hours during Which Liquor May Be Sold and Purchased
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0684
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: KINNEY, PATRICK, CAMPBELL, CHENETTE, LUCHINI, SAUCIER, WADSWORTH, COLLINS
Amends: 28-A MRSA §4, 28-A MRSA §353, 28-A MRSA §353-A, 28-A MRSA §1077, 28-A MRSA §1355-A

Legislative Document 
No. 684 
H.P. 465 
House of Representatives, March 3, 2015 
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. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative KINNEY of Limington. 
Cosponsored by Senator PATRICK of Oxford and 
Representatives: CAMPBELL of Newfield, CHENETTE of Saco, LUCHINI of Ellsworth, 
SAUCIER of Presque Isle, WADSWORTH of Hiram, Senator: COLLINS of York. 
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 2013, c. 476, Pt. A, §5, 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 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 5 a.m. and 9 a.m., 
except on March 17th, when a licensee may sell liquor beginning at 6 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are repealed.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 2013, c. 476, Pt. A, §14 and 
affected by §36, is further amended to read: 
§353.  Business hours 
Agency liquor stores may be open for the sale and delivery of spirits and fortified 
wine 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 agency liquor stores under local option 
provisions.  Notwithstanding any local option decisions to the contrary, agency liquor 
stores may be open from 9 5 a.m. Sunday to 1 a.m. the next day. 
Sec. 4.  28-A MRSA §353-A, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 476, Pt. B, §1 and 
affected by §6, is amended to read: 
§353-A.  Business hours 
Agency liquor stores may be open for the sale and delivery of spirits as provided in 
section 4, subsection 1 in municipalities and unincorporated places that have voted in 
favor of the operation of agency liquor stores under local option provisions.  
Notwithstanding any local option decisions to the contrary and except as provided by 
section 4, subsection 1, paragraph A, agency liquor stores may be open from 9 5 a.m. 
Sunday to 1 a.m. the following day. 
Sec. 5.  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. 6.  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.