# Is it illegal to sell cold beer in Indiana? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121 "2010-09-26T18:23:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/41 "2010-09-27T18:47:23Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > Heh. Welcome to the Puritan State. We also seriously restrict adult book stores. :rolleyes: It’s funny, when I went to college in IN, I was coming from a dry county in Texas and my unworldly self was shocked that you could buy beer and wine from the grocery store. And I was really shocked that the gas station on the corner had beer (cold, I think). ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/42 "2010-09-27T21:03:51Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > not sure I get the rolleyes. The rolleyes is because at least two of those laws, IMHO, threaten public safety, not ensure it. “Forcing” people to \*drive \*to a bar to drink instead of making it easy for them to drink at home and “forcing” them to leave unattended babies in the car while they’re shopping would seem to the logical person to increase drunk driving and broiled babies, respectively. Now, of course, no one mandates drinking on a Sunday in the first place, but people are still going to do it, and I don’t understand these bizarre laws that actually make it more dangerous when people do what they’re gonna do. While I don’t know if there’s an exception for infants written into other states’ laws, I can say that Indiana is the only state I’ve seen it enforced personally. My daughter has accompanied me into liquor stores here in Chicago with no fuss. Same in New Jersey, Ohio (oh, the drive thrus are great!), Pennsylvania and New York. But in Indiana, going in for a bottle of vermouth for the evening meal, I was stopped at the door with my infant goddaughter and barred entry. They actually suggested I just leave her in her car seat on the sidewalk out front! :eek: Man, now I totally come off like a lush here, don’t I? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/43 "2010-09-27T23:04:37Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > Yeah, it’s bizarre. If you want cold beer, you have to go to a liquor store. The grocery stores can only sell it warm. Yep this ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/44 "2010-09-28T01:32:42Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > Thankfully you can buy booze on Sunday in Arizona so you can just take the baby into the grocery store with you. > > In Ohio you can just go to the drive thru with your kids and ask them to just toss your beer into the cooler between the child seats. 😃 Really. :eek: We’ve got drive-thru liquor places here, too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kjckjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@kjckjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjckjc)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/45 "2010-09-28T02:05:45Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > My license is from Arizona and I think it is the 2034 expiration which raises a red flag with many cashiers. Arizona charges a fortune for the driver’s license, but it is valid for 25 years. OFF TOPIC Really? Is that for everybody, across the board, or are there exceptions? It seems that giving a person a license at, say, 70 and then not requiring any testing until they are 95 seems like a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/46 "2010-09-28T02:25:10Z")
Yeah, but have you ever noticed how many drivers in Phoenix seem to be old farts and snowbirds? I’m sure that has nothing to do with it… ---
**Author:** ![ginman999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@ginman999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ginman999)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/47 "2010-09-28T11:22:15Z")
The law was updated recently, On Sunday you can go to a brew pub or winery and carry out beer and wine. Warm beer is available in gas stations but not for sale on Sunday. At one time you couldn’t buy beer before noon on Sunday at a restaurant or sporting event. Colts moved here and they moved the time to 11:00am so that fans could get their beer and seat before the game started. Hoosiers can’t buy a car on Sunday either. Clearly these are religious based law. ---
**Author:** ![JerseyFrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@JerseyFrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyFrank)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/48 "2010-09-28T13:19:26Z")
I’d advise you to avoid Pennsylvania. You can’t buy alcohol in the grocery store. Wine & spirits are sold only in state owned and operated stores. Prices are the same in every store. There’s no competition. Beer is only\* sold at beer distributors. You cannot buy quantities less than 1 case. Want to try that new brew? Hope you like it, because there are 23 more to drink next! - you can buy 6-packs to-go in bars. It’s as expensive, but not the same price as buying beer from the bartender (i.e., $10 for a 6-pack, not $30). I live in NJ, but work in PA. My numbers might not be exactly accurate, but these restrictions are real. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/49 "2010-09-28T13:36:42Z")
> [@kjckjc](#): > > > [@dalej42](#): > > > > My license is from Arizona and I think it is the 2034 expiration which raises a red flag with many cashiers. Arizona charges a fortune for the driver’s license, but it is valid for 25 years. > > OFF TOPIC > > Really? Is that for everybody, across the board, or are there exceptions? It seems that giving a person a license at, say, 70 and then not requiring any testing until they are 95 seems like a bad idea. Worse than that… my license photo would show me 20 pounds lighter with shoulder-length hair, a headband, and a _Flashdance_-style torn sweatshirt. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/50 "2010-09-28T14:06:34Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > > [@kjckjc](#): > > > > OFF TOPIC > > > > Really? Is that for everybody, across the board, or are there exceptions? It seems that giving a person a license at, say, 70 and then not requiring any testing until they are 95 seems like a bad idea. > > Worse than that… my license photo would show me 20 pounds lighter with shoulder-length hair, a headband, and a _Flashdance_-style torn sweatshirt. I’m 40 and my license would still show me as a 16 year old with hair. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/51 "2010-09-29T01:29:29Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > …then Indiana is on my list of places where I just keep driving until I get to a state… Having spent ages 12-29 in that lovely state, I suggest you (and every other intelligent life form) make that a policy ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/52 "2010-09-29T02:30:29Z")
I’m in Utah for my dad’s ship reunion and my mom and I went in search of liquor store to find that: 1. they totally have a ghetto in pristine Salt Lake City 2. Mormon liquor stores like their brethren elsewhere are also next to sketchy pawn shops 3. they don’t sell anything that isn’t liquor. They don’t sell ice or openers or mixers or anything cold. The idea is to make you take it home. The execution was to send this first time visitor to the state to an extremely questionable gas station for her dad’s tonic water. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/53 "2010-09-29T13:27:53Z")
I wonder if there are convienance stores that open up next to liquor stores just to provide the drinking accessories. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/54 "2010-09-30T14:13:40Z")
I’m seeing that in Michigan, even our “before noon” Sunday law may be heading out in the next few days. [Sunday Liquor Sales in Michigan to Expand](http://www.detnews.com/article/20100930/POLITICS02/9300404/Bill-to-expand-Sunday-liquor-sales-heads-to-Granholm-s-desk) ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121/55 "2010-09-30T14:29:08Z")
I remember in NC that alcohol could not be sold before 1 on Sundays in Greensboro. This later changed to noon. But I can’t remember if this was because the law was changed or the law is different in Boone to where I moved. I also remember that our grocery store, Harris-Teeter, served beer and wine but one had to go to an ABC store for hard liquor. HT also did not sell 40-oz beers because it attracted the “wrong kind of customer.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-sell-cold-beer-in-indiana/555121.md?page=2)