New York State Liquor Authority Will Not Grant All-Night Permits this New Year's Eve

Update [10 AM October 13]: The liquor authority confirmed that all-night permits will not be issued statewide this year because New Year's Day falls on a Sunday.

The New York State Liquor Authority will not grant all-night permits to bars and nightlife venues this New Year's Eve, the authority confirmed to THUMP today. The special event permit, sometimes known as the New Year's Eve permit, allows clubs and bars to sell alcohol past last call (4 AM in New York City) until 8 AM on New Year's Eve.

The NYSLA told THUMP that no permits will be granted this year because New Year's Day falls on a Sunday this year. New York liquor laws restricts the sale of alcohol on Sundays, commonly known as Blue Laws. The laws do not permit extended alcohol sale hours in the state on Sundays, even on New Year's.

After reports of the rule surfaced online, THUMP was able to confirm with the NYSLA that this applies to the whole state of New York, and will be in effect this year.

Last month New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, signed new legislation modernizing the state's 80-year-old law that relaxed the Sunday restrictions. It is now legal to sell alcohol from 10 AM on Sundays, instead of noon, in restaurants and bars statewide. The update to the law did not, however, lift the ban on all-night permits should the New Year's festivities encroach on a Sunday.

Last New Year's Eve, 249 venues had all-night permits across the state, while 305 did the year before, according to the news site New York Upstate. In the last few years there has been an overall downward trend in the number of all-night permits granted in New York. In 2009, 165 permits were issued to venues in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester for New Year's Eve, the New York Post reported. The year before that, the number was 388, while it was 439 in 2007.

This NYE, the State Liquor Authority will not be granting 24-hour liquor licenses to ANYONE. Pretty big deal. Good luck venue owners.

— Dance Bitch LLC (@DanceBitchBK)October 12, 2016