Massachusetts: Where can you buy liquor?
Massachusetts liquor is sold by privately owned package stores licensed by cities and towns; the state does not buy or sell spirits.
Local licensing authorities in cities and towns that vote to allow alcohol sales grant off-premises (package store) licenses, subject to state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission rules. No person or company may hold more than nine of these licenses statewide, which limits how many stores a grocery or convenience chain can run. Towns can also vote to allow only beer and wine.
What the law says
The local licensing authorities in any city or town which votes to authorize the granting of licenses ... may grant licenses for the sale at retail of such alcoholic beverages or wines and malt beverages, as the case may be, not to be drunk on the premises
Sources
- Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 138, § 15 Official · malegislature.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission
- Website
- mass.gov
How bordering states compare
- Connecticut Private licensed storesConnecticut issues package store permits to private stores to sell liquor; grocery stores get a separate beer permit.
- New Hampshire Government-run storesNew Hampshire sells liquor through state-run Liquor & Wine Outlet stores operated by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission.
- New York Private licensed storesNew York liquor is sold by privately owned liquor stores licensed by the State Liquor Authority; the state does not sell spirits.
- Rhode Island Private licensed storesRhode Island liquor is sold by privately owned package stores holding Class A retail licenses; the state does not sell spirits.
- Vermont Private agency storesVermont sells liquor only through 802Spirits agency stores: private businesses under contract with the state, selling state-owned liquor at state-set prices.
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