Which States Allow Drive-Through Liquor Stores? [ANSWERED]

Curbside and drive-through retail are on the rise, with over 40 percent of consumers reporting they prefer these options to in-store purchases at least some of the time. 

You want to capitalize on the trend toward drive-through and curbside pickup shopping that began to explode in popularity in 2020, but you’re not sure what’s allowed in your state. So, which states allow drive-through liquor stores? You need to know before you explore adding this option to your store. 

This post answers that question. Then, we’ll cover five tips for getting the most out of your drive-through liquor sales if you operate in one of the states that allow drive-through liquor stores. 

Which States Allow Drive-Through Liquor Stores? 

Offering drive-through liquor sales means customers can conveniently purchase beer, wine, spirits, mixers, and more from their vehicles instead of coming inside your store. This service method became popular several decades ago in some areas and continues gaining traction today.

So, which states allow drive-through liquor stores?

At the time of writing, 30 states have laws permitting drive-through liquor sales:

Drive-through liquor stores are permitted in all states on the list, but liquor laws can be intricate, with variations based on licenses and local regulations. So, carefully review the statutes in your area before offering drive-through sales. Contact your state alcohol control agency if you need clarification. Staying compliant is essential to maintaining your liquor license as a retailer.

Related Read: Applying for a Beer and Wine Liquor License? Follow These 5 Steps

If you’re planning to open a drive-through liquor store after reviewing the laws and requirements for your state, you may need additional advice and tips to get up and running. With that in mind, let’s dive into our list of tips you can use to optimize your drive-through liquor store. 

Tips for Offering Drive-Through Sales at Your Liquor Store 

1. Understand and Adhere to Local Regulations 

After finding out which states permit drive-through liquor stores, you will have many factors to consider. First and foremost, offering any new service involving regulated products like alcohol demands a close review of legal and licensing considerations. When adding drive-through liquor sales to your store, you have three major considerations:

• Research Local Laws: Thoroughly understand statutes around drive-through alcohol sales in your specific jurisdiction. State permission does not automatically equal local approval. You should also review open container stipulations, delivery definitions, and related laws.

Related Read: [GUIDE] How To Start a Liquor Business in 5 Simple Steps

• Licensing Requirements: Confirm that your liquor license category permits drive-through sales. Some states require supplemental permits or restrictions around window placement and operations.
• Zoning Compliance: Carefully check that your store meets any municipal zoning rules around drive-through structures and alcohol sales methods. Adjust your plans if needed to avoid violations.

Closely investigating all compliance aspects minimizes legal risks when rolling out your store’s drive-through liquor options. Consult an alcohol licensing lawyer if any questions remain unanswered after reviewing state and local regulations.

2. Implement Efficient Order and Pickup Systems 

Once you have your legal ducks in a row, your next order of business is optimizing drive-through logistics and transactions. Setting up an efficient order and pickup system from the get-go results in multiple benefits for your store:

• Streamlined Ordering Process: Simplify ordering processes by providing tools like large printed menus, online preorders, or mobile apps that allow customers to place requests quickly. 
• Order Confirmation and Verification: Repeat back orders clearly to confirm product details, quantities, special requests, and pricing. Implement checks of the staged orders before delivery to prevent mistakes.
• Organized Pickup Area: Designate a pickup zone that keeps vehicles flowing smoothly. Use signage, barriers, and ground markings to direct traffic properly. You should also have pickup shelves or tables inside your store ready for fast and easy delivery to cars.

Related Read: Display, Layout, and More: 3 Liquor Store Design Ideas To Inspire You

Efficient processes are crucial for successful and compliant drive-through beverage orders.

3. Prioritize Safety and Responsible Service 

While drive-throughs offer convenience, you can’t make convenience your number-one priority. Instead, you must center all your practices and processes around safety and compliance. Let’s take a look at some of the points you must consider closely when implementing this in your store:

• Age Verification Protocols: Rigorously check IDs at order placement and pickup points to prevent underage sales. Implement a robust point of sale (POS) solution, like Bottle POS, with built-in age verification at checkout to minimize your risk of underage sales. 
• Limiting Quantities: Voluntarily cap order sizes, like 12-packs instead of full cases, even if not mandated in your area. This practice encourages responsible consumption and can boost your store’s reputation in your community. 
• Training Staff: Provide extensive RAPS (Responsible Alcohol Purchase and Sale) training for all employees handling drive-through transactions. Set clear protocols for ID checks and order verification. 

The risks of improper alcohol service escalate in a drive-through environment. Prioritizing public welfare over profits by implementing technology, safeguards, and staff education minimizes your risk and the liability for customers and regulators.

4. Market Your Drive-Through Services 

Even if your drive-through solution is perfectly efficient, it won’t boost your revenue unless your customers know they can utilize it. Many customers don’t know which states allow drive-through liquor stores and may not know that’s an option in their area. As a result, our fourth tip is to market your drive-through services to your target customers.

How can you market your drive-through services? 

• Promotional Signage: Install visible and eye-catching signage inside and outside your store, highlighting your drive-through service. Digital in-store displays allow messaging updates as inventory and promotions change. 
• Online Presence: Promote drive-through hours, featured products, limited-time deals, and liquor store advertising across your website, Google Business profile, social platforms, and email or SMS campaigns. 
• Local Partnerships: Explore creative cross-promotions with nearby businesses like restaurants to co-market your respective services to new audiences. For example, you might partner with a local pizza shop to encourage drive-through beer sales from customers who order their pizzas for pickup.

Spreading awareness of your drive-through alcohol options encourages first-time trials while keeping existing patrons engaged. When you continually promote your drive-through liquor store options, your business has a better chance of becoming the go-to local source for convenient to-go beverage ingredients. 

5. Optimize Operational Efficiency 

Finally, if you want to find sustained success with your drive-through liquor store, focus on maximizing productivity and profitability by optimizing your processes over time. You can manage and improve your processes over time using:

• Point of Sale Solution: Choose a modern POS system with the capabilities you need to seamlessly manage in-store and drive-through revenue channels in one place. 
• Data Analytics: Closely track buyer behaviors, sales volumes, and merchandising through granular POS reporting. Identify top brands and categories by transaction type to optimize inventory allocation between shelves and drive-through.

Purpose-built for alcohol retail, Bottle POS helps small business liquor stores unify operations, gain business insights, and deliver convenience while ensuring compliance. Our cloud-based solution provides robust inventory control, omnichannel processing, and analytics specific to liquor and wine merchandising challenges. If you want to see how Bottle POS can help you start efficiently offering drive-through liquor from your store, schedule a demo of today. 

Streamlining back office workflows, maximizing existing infrastructure across channels, and leveraging data insights pave the way for drive-through liquor to boost volumes profitably.

Which States Allow Drive-Through Liquor Stores? Managing Your Store 

As we reviewed earlier, 30 states currently allow liquor stores to offer drive-through alcohol sales. If your business is in one of these areas, consider implementing this convenient service method to expand revenue opportunities. Just be sure to follow all regulations and licensing rules in your jurisdiction closely.

However, whether running a traditional or drive-through liquor store, you need the right tools to run a successful business. The right point of sale solution is the most crucial tool for small businesses. Outdated cash registers and spreadsheet-based inventory tracking won't cut it in this highly regulated industry.

Bottle POS offers a leading POS solution purpose-built to help liquor stores enhance customer experience, reduce compliance risk, and boost the bottom line. Key features like enterprise-grade inventory control, age verification, detailed reporting and analytics, and omnichannel sales processing give businesses like yours the tools to thrive.

Managing alcohol retail gets easier and more productive with the right technology partner behind you. Schedule a demo to see how Bottle POS can help you manage your drive-through liquor store.