KANSAS CITY, Mo. — You can now take your margarita to-go.
The Missouri law permanently allowing the sale of to-go alcohol goes into effect this weekend.
Senate Bill 126 was signed by Gov. Mike Parson on July 7, and the law goes into effect Saturday.
A temporary waiver was put in place in April 2020 to allow restaurants to sell alcohol to-go when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all but carryout dining and restaurants were struggling to maintain a revenue stream.
Alcohol taken to-go previously had to be in its original packaging, but with the new legislation, restaurants can sell mixed drinks for patrons to grab on their way home.
To allow that and still comply with DUI and open-container laws, the alcohol must be in a sealed container not exceeding 128 ounces. The drink must be in a one-time-use, tamper-proof, transparent bag or a container sealed with tamper-proof tape.
The facility selling the alcohol must provide a dated receipt for the purchase and may only sell the beverages with a meal and can't sell more than two beverages per meal serving.
SB 126 also extends Sunday alcohol sales hours.
Those with a liquor license can now make Sunday sales from 6 a.m. until 1:30 a.m. on Monday morning.
A similar bill was signed into law in Kansas this year as well.
