Residents in Sweetwater County will be able to purchase alcohol two hours earlier beginning July 1, 2017.
The Board of Sweetwater County Commissioners voted today to approve a resolution setting hours of operation for alcohol sales to be from 4 a.m. until 2 a.m. of the next business day. This resolution applies only to businesses licensed to sell alcohol within the unincorporated areas of Sweetwater County and does not impact stores within Rock Springs or Green River.
Current state law allows for alcohol sales from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. the following day, but changes to that law take effect July 1, 2017. Under the new laws, the County Commissioners can set the hours of operation for alcohol sales in the county.
The resolution passed today was amended from an original sales time beginning at 6 a.m. The Commissioners amended the time to 4 a.m. after Island Richards, representing Kelly’s Convenience Center on Yellowstone Road, asked the Commissioners to not pass the resolution or amend the time to allow retailers to sell alcohol earlier.
Richards told the Commissioners he often sees people who get off work early in the morning and visit his establishment to purchase alcohol on the way home. Those people are often forced to wait until 6 a.m. in order to purchase their alcohol per the existing statute.
Per the community input, the Commissioners voted to amend the resolution. Liquor establishments in Sweetwater County will still be prohibited from selling alcohol between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Bars will still be required to clear the building of people other than employees by 2:30 a.m.
