MISSOURI, USA — The Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control announced on Tuesday it would be temporarily waiving a restriction on some "to-go" alcohol sales to help businesses during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Missouri currently limits "to-go" alcohol sales to products in their original packaging. With this change, the ATC will temporarily allow retailer-packaged alcoholic drinks under certain conditions.
The new rules from the ATC are:
- The alcohol container must be durable, leakproof, and sealable, and must meet the minimum size requirements outlined in the Code of State Regulations [11 CSR 70-2.010(5)];
- The customer must have ordered and purchased a meal simultaneous with the liquor purchase;
- The licensee must provide the customer with a dated receipt for the alcohol beverage(s); and
- The sealed alcohol container must either be:
- Placed in a one-time-use, tamperproof, transparent bag which must be securely sealed, or;
- The container opening must be sealed with tamperproof tape.
The temporary new rules won't allow businesses that hold liquor licenses to sell mixed drinks in "to-go" plastic or Styrofoam cups with straws or loose covers.
These rules will expire on May 15, in an effort to help businesses stay afloat during the pandemic.
On March 26, the Missouri ATC also extended the deadlines for liquor license renewals and waived additional fees for two months.
