If you’re planning to celebrate the holidays with liquor this year, you’ll need to stock up before Christmas Day.
“Retail Liquor Store license holders must be closed on Sundays and Christmas Day,” Department of Revenue public information officer Robert Walden told The Sun News in an interview.
While South Carolina state law bans liquor sales on Christmas Day , on all other holidays — like Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day — sales are permitted, so long as they don’t fall on a Sunday.
For a first offense, a liquor merchant will be fined $200 or imprisoned for 60 days. On the second conviction, the penalty increases to $1,000 or a year in prison, and for subsequent offenses result in a $2,000 fine or two years’ imprisonment.
However there are two ways to legally buy alcohol on Christmas Day.
On-premises consumption
If you’re craving a hot buttered rum for Christmas, you can drink liquor at a licensed establishment. Businesses like restaurants, bars and hotels can obtain a Liquor by the Drink License that allows them to sell alcoholic liquor for on-premises consumption, including on Christmas Day.