Alcohol and Tobacco Control News Releases

The Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control today announced it is temporarily waiving a restriction on some “to-go” alcohol sales in an effort to assist businesses facing unprecedented challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Because Missouri law limits ‘to-go’ alcohol sales to products in their original package, ATC is temporarily allowing retailer-packaged alcohol beverages under certain conditions:

The alcohol container must be durable, leakproof, and sealable, and must meet the minimum size requirements outlined in the Code of State Regulations [11 CSR 70-2.010(5)];

• The customer must have ordered and purchased a meal simultaneous with the liquor purchase;
• The licensee must provide the customer with a dated receipt for the alcohol beverage(s); and
• The sealed alcohol container must either be:
  • Placed in a one-time-use, tamperproof, transparent bag which must be securely sealed, or;
  • The container opening must be sealed with tamperproof tape.

The change does not allow liquor licensees to sell mixed drinks in ‘to-go’ plastic or Styrofoam cups with straws or loose covers.

The change is designed to assist workers and retail licensees financially by allowing them to recover some alcohol sales that may have been lost as restaurants’ dining facilities closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The temporary expansion of the original package for ‘to-go’ sales will expire May 15.

Earlier, to assist liquor licensees, ATC on March 26 extended the deadlines for liquor license renewals and waived additional fees for two months.  

Normally, liquor licenses expire each year on June 30, and applications for license renewals must be filed by May 1 of each calendar year. Licensees that have not completed the renewal process by June 30 are required to cease alcohol-related business until their renewal has been processed and the renewed license(s) posted on the premises. Progressing fines are imposed for late renewals.

ATC’s waiver will permit licensees to apply for renewals until July 1, 2020 without penalty. Progressing fines would apply after July 1, instead of May 1. Businesses that did not renew their licenses would not be required to cease alcohol-related business until Aug. 31, 2020.

The extended renewal season will close on Sept. 30, 2020.

For more information, call 573-751-5432 or e-mail mike.oconnell@dps.mo.gov