What is the Tennessee state law on ID for alcohol?
Tennessee laws on alcohol require stores to check identification before selling any form of alcohol, including beer, wine and liquor.
- The alcohol state laws in Tennessee, like the rest of the county, require you to be 21 years old or older to possess alcohol or enter bars.
- If you are caught possessing alcohol between the ages of 18 and 21 years old, you can be charged with a misdemeanor of minor in possession of alcohol.
- Using a fake ID to purchase alcohol underage is also a misdemeanor in Tennessee, including a mandatory one-year suspension of your driver’s license.
What are Tennessee alcohol driving laws?
It is illegal to consume alcohol or possess an open container while driving in Tennessee.
If you are caught drinking and driving you will be given a sobriety test. Any score above .08 Blood Alcohol Volume will result in a charge of Driving Under the Influence.
DUI’s are considered a serious crime in Tennessee, and punishment depends on how many times you have been caught in the past.
Other Tennessee Alcohol Laws
- Alcohol in grocery stores in Tennessee – You can buy beer and wine at grocery stores in Tennessee. Liquor, on the other hand, can only be purchased at liquor stores.
- Drinking in Tennessee state parks – Visitors are allowed to bring their own alcoholic beverages and drink them inside the park in designated areas.
- Tennessee Alcohol Tax – Alcohol sales are subject to Tennessee’s 7% sales tax plus an additional “sin” tax. Distributors are responsible for paying the “sin tax”, but these costs are always passed onto the consumer in the form of higher prices.
– Liquor: $4.46 per gallon
– Beer: $1.29 per gallon
– Wine: $1.21 per gallon
- Rules for purchasing alcohol in Tennessee – You can buy alcohol in Tennessee from 8 AM until 11 PM Monday through Saturday, and from 10 AM until 11 PM on Sundays (new law as of 1/1/2019). Bars and restaurants are permitted to sell liquor-by-the-drink until 3 AM.
