Colorado · CO · Food & drink
Colorado: Where can you buy liquor?
Private licensed stores
Colorado licenses private retail liquor stores to sell spirits in sealed containers; the state does not buy or sell liquor.
Retail liquor stores may sell beer, wine and spirits only in sealed containers to take away. A separate liquor-licensed drugstore license also allows spirits sales. Some long-time Colorado-resident owners may hold up to three retail liquor store licenses, rising to four in 2027.
What the law says
A retail liquor store license shall be issued to persons selling only malt, vinous, and spirituous liquors in sealed containers not to be consumed at the place where sold.
Sources
- C.R.S. § 44-3-409 (Retail liquor store license) Mirror of official text · colorado.public.law
- C.R.S. § 44-3-410 (Liquor-licensed drugstore license) Mirror of official text · colorado.public.law
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Colorado Department of Revenue, Liquor Enforcement Division
- Website
- sbg.colorado.gov
How bordering states compare
- Arizona Private licensed storesArizona licenses private liquor stores to sell spirits for off-premises drinking; the state runs no liquor stores.
- Kansas Private licensed storesKansas licenses privately owned retail liquor stores to sell spirits in sealed packages; the state does not buy or sell liquor.
- Nebraska Private licensed storesNebraska licenses privately owned retailers to sell liquor in original packages for off-premises drinking; the state does not sell liquor.
- New Mexico Private licensed storesNew Mexico liquor is sold by privately owned businesses holding state liquor licenses, including package stores, grocery stores and convenience stores.
- Oklahoma Private licensed storesOklahoma liquor is sold by privately owned retail liquor stores licensed by the ABLE Commission, which buy from licensed wholesalers.
- Utah Government-run storesUtah sells liquor in state-run stores staffed by state employees, plus contract package agencies in smaller towns and resorts.
- Wyoming State wholesale, private storesWyoming's Liquor Division is the only liquor wholesaler, but private businesses with local retail licenses sell liquor to the public.