New Mexico: Are happy hour drink specials legal?
New Mexico allows drink discounts but bans unlimited-drink deals, two-for-one offers, and drinks sold at less than half price.
A state rule lists drink promotions that are banned on licensed premises. These include unlimited drinks for a set price over a set period, two or more drinks for the price of one, drinks sold below half the usual price, and drinks sold below cost. Advertising any of these is also banned. The rule sets no required hours, so a discount within those limits may run for part of the day.
Conditions
- No unlimited drinks for a fixed price
- No two-for-one drink offers
- No drinks at less than half the usual price or below cost
- No advertising of banned promotions
What the law says
The following practices are prohibited on a licensed premises: ... the sale or delivery to a person of an unlimited number of alcoholic beverage drinks during any set period of time for a fixed price; the sale or delivery of two or more alcoholic beverage drinks for the price of one; the sale or delivery of alcoholic beverages by the drink for less than half the usual, customary, or established price for a drink of that type on the licensed premises;
Sources
- 15.10.51.11 NMAC (Prohibited practices on licensed premises) Official · srca.nm.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Alcoholic Beverage Control Division
- Phone
- (505) 476-4875
- Website
- rld.nm.gov
How bordering states compare
- Arizona Allowed with limitsArizona allows happy hours but bans unlimited drinks for a fixed price, drinking contests, and oversized servings.
- Colorado AllowedColorado has no state law or rule limiting happy hour drink prices at bars and restaurants.
- Oklahoma Allowed with limitsOklahoma now lets bars offer drink specials at any hour, but bans unlimited drinks for one price and group-only discounts.
- Texas Allowed with limitsTexas allows happy hours, but drink prices cannot be reduced after 11 p.m., and two-for-one and all-you-can-drink deals are banned.
- Utah Happy hour bannedUtah bans happy hours: bars and restaurants may not offer reduced drink prices for only certain hours of the day.
All 50 states for this question · Other topics in New Mexico