# Happy Hour timeframe legalities **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2002, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-hour-timeframe-legalities/140656 "2002-12-05T06:23:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Church\_Key\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Church\_Key\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Church_Key_Kid)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-hour-timeframe-legalities/140656/1 "2002-12-05T06:23:24Z")
I heard a radio ad today for some bar, and they said they had the longest legal Happy Hour, from 4p to 9p. I live in Ohio, but does anyone know if there are actually laws in any states regarding the timeframes on which you can have a Happy Hour? I mean, why would there be a law saying you can only serve 1/2 price beers and 1/2 price appetizers for only so many hours? I realize that there is a law against GIVING beer away, a law regarding state minimum pricing, and a law about how late your bar can stay open, but is there really a law about a time limit, or is this just a cheesy gimmick? ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-hour-timeframe-legalities/140656/2 "2002-12-05T06:51:18Z")
Here’s a quick look at which states (including Ohio) do, and which don’t, recognize the concept: [http://www3.madd.org/laws/law.cfm?LawID=HOUR](http://www3.madd.org/laws/law.cfm?LawID=HOUR) Illinois permits all-day liquor sales promotions, but doesn’t allow “happy hours” _per se_: [http://www.state.il.us/lcc/HAPPYQA.HTM](http://www.state.il.us/lcc/HAPPYQA.HTM) New York has also attempted to curb binge drinking: [http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1999/sep/09-09-99/news/news29.html](http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1999/sep/09-09-99/news/news29.html) Not surprisingly, Utah also frowns on excessive consumption of alcohol: [http://sbi.utah.gov/liquor/faqs.html](http://sbi.utah.gov/liquor/faqs.html) For my Google search, I used the string - “happy hour” + “law” +“state” ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-hour-timeframe-legalities/140656/3 "2002-12-05T12:37:54Z")
…hello, I am new here, but thought I’d just add something. I’m not sure about the law’s in question-but in NZ while alcohol sales are encouraged-it is illegal to serve intoxicated patrons. In Happy Hour situations, or “Open Bar Tab” Functions-control of the flow of alcohol is indeed difficult. The law, I would imagine, would be designed to stop “all night” Happy Hour’s-where the drinks would flow and the Bar’s revenue would go up-but the amount of drunk patron’s would also increase… ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-hour-timeframe-legalities/140656/4 "2002-12-05T15:25:59Z")
IIRC, MA made Happy Hours (lower priced drinks for a limited time) illegal a few years back.