# Why do liquor stores in the US always use opaque shopping bags? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 31, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-liquor-stores-in-the-us-always-use-opaque-shopping-bags/548693 "2010-07-31T16:02:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-liquor-stores-in-the-us-always-use-opaque-shopping-bags/548693/21 "2010-08-01T12:02:41Z")
> [@whiterabbit](#): > > Hey, **MBP** , guess what time said store closes? 7PM! I’ve never seen that. Blew my mind. And where I live is from all reports the oddest least Idaho-like bit of the state, culturally speaking. You’d think they’d be open later. It’s a _liquor store!_ I don’t know if it’s just a local thing – everything closes early up here, you need to grab groceries if you work until 9? You’re screwed, forget it! – or some weird law. I must remember to ask them sometime. Probably a law. Blew my mind when I went to Georgia and the liquor stores were open later. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-liquor-stores-in-the-us-always-use-opaque-shopping-bags/548693/22 "2010-08-01T12:31:09Z")
What kind of law mandates that you put liquor in a bag or certain type of bag? I’m not saying there isn’t such a law but I’m wondering if someone can give me an example. I don’t drink but I know when you buy alcohol at a grocer in Illinois they don’t put it in any special bag and you would think a law would apply to anyone selling liquor. I know for beer, if you buy a case, most grocers simply stick one of those “sold” red tags on it. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-liquor-stores-in-the-us-always-use-opaque-shopping-bags/548693/23 "2010-08-02T01:57:06Z")
Duh – because the opaque bags are cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-liquor-stores-in-the-us-always-use-opaque-shopping-bags/548693/24 "2010-08-02T16:59:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > > [@Zsofia](#): > > > > The liquor store ones are black, though. I always figured it was in case you met the preacher on your way home. > > Yeah, it’s not _too_ unusual for me to get the black plastic bags here in Chicago, too. Always makes me feel a bit dirty, that black bag. I always wonder if my neighbors think I’m coming home with a sack full of porno. The bigger concern is why _aren’t_ you going home with a sack full of porno to go with your liquor? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-liquor-stores-in-the-us-always-use-opaque-shopping-bags/548693/25 "2010-08-02T17:07:06Z")
> [@robert\_andrews](#): > > Some liquor stores seem to use opaque black plastic bags, something that one rarely sees elsewhere. Guess you’ve never bought anything from a sex shop. They’re big fans of the opaque black plastic bags, for obvious reasons. If you see someone carrying such a bag you can be pretty sure they bought something they are (or someone else would be) ashamed of. That’s the point. ---
**Author:** ![Sinisterniik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@Sinisterniik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinisterniik)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-liquor-stores-in-the-us-always-use-opaque-shopping-bags/548693/26 "2010-08-02T17:25:00Z")
> [@whiterabbit](#): > > Hey, **MBP** , guess what time said store closes? 7PM! In CT it’s 9PM by law. The worst part: many shops close up at 8 or 8:30, with different hours every day. So you’ll be driving to a party at 8:45 expecting to pick up a bottle of rum on the way, but too bad -looks like you’re going to have to bring the mixers instead! When I lived in Danbury, we used to go to NY all the time and pay too much for libations at one of the border stores once that time rolled around. As far as the OP, I always get opaque plastic or brown paper bags without asking. When I buy a 30 rack, though I don’t even get offered a bag. As best as I can tell, there’s no law in CT against walking around with unopened booze. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-liquor-stores-in-the-us-always-use-opaque-shopping-bags/548693/27 "2010-08-02T20:26:39Z")
In TX the liquor stores have to close at 9 p.m. at well, along with staying closed on Sundays. I’ve never heard of a store closing early, though - I used to work at a liquor store and we did a fair bit of business at 8:45 p.m. with people sliding in the door, wide-eyed, glancing at their watches as they run for their last-minute hooch. Can’t imagine a store owner wanting to miss out on some $ like that. However, there is no state law here demanding that your purchase be put into a bag, any bag, opaque or otherwise. The store owner was an attorney, and I had to get TABC certification, so even thought IANAL myself I feel fairly confident in saying that it’s not a law in TX. That said, I did get a couple of customers from time to time insisting that I _had_ to put it into a bag for them, and they were always old folks, so I figure, maybe it was a law at some point in the past, and got changed. You can always bring in your own bags, like you do at the grocery store. Save a tree, and all that. No laws against it, again, at least not in TX. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-liquor-stores-in-the-us-always-use-opaque-shopping-bags/548693.md?page=1)