12 Weird Laws In Texas Dealing With The Sale Of Liquor

The majority of people, including myself, who moved to Tyler, Texas, or into Smith County Texas more than a decade ago, were unaware that you could not go into a restaurant during happy hour or anytime and order a beer or a cocktail without being a 'member'.

Up until 2012, Smith County was a dry county until voters approved a measure to make the sale of beer and wine a legal transaction.

So lots has changed since I moved to East Texas in 1997. When I was new to town and much younger we would hit up Chili's, TGI Fridays, On The Border or Sharkey's, Rick's, or Clicks on the weekend to have a beer or mixed drink, but in order to drink you had to be a member of 'the club' or carry a Unicard! Man have times changed and for the better.

No more club memberships or Unicards

Being a member was just a way to get around county and state laws in order for residents to purchase an adult beverage legally.

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Texas has some rather unusual laws when it comes to purchasing alcohol and liquor. Some of the laws have become relaxed over the years, but there are some laws that no one can get around and they're still on the books.

While Texas alcohol laws are among some of the strictest in the country, they can also be a bit confusing. Why is it some counties can sell alcohol at restaurants and bars until 2 a.m. when other counties must stop selling at 1 a.m.?  I'll never know or understand!

If that's not mind-blowing enough, check out these 12 weird laws that are enforceable when it comes to selling alcohol in Texas.