Updated October 2026
Sam’s Club sells liquor only at clubs in states and localities whose laws let a large retailer hold a spirits license, so availability depends on your state and on each club’s license. Sam’s Club does not publish a national list. Clubs in open license states can stock spirits alongside beer and wine. In Texas, state law bars public corporations from owning liquor stores, so clubs there do not sell hard liquor. In control states, the state controls spirits sales. And in a few states, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Michigan, state law means you do not need a membership to buy alcohol at a warehouse club. Here is how the rules work and how to check your club.
Why liquor at Sam’s Club depends on the state
Under Section 2 of the Twenty-first Amendment, each state regulates the sale of alcohol inside its borders. States decide who may sell spirits, under what license, and in what kind of store, and many let counties and cities add their own limits. Most states also license beer and wine separately from spirits, so a club can carry beer and wine without any right to sell liquor.
Sam’s Club is part of Walmart Inc., so the rules that decide whether a Walmart store can sell liquor usually decide the question for Sam’s Club too. Our full explainer on what states Walmart sells liquor in walks through each type of state law.
How the main state rules affect Sam’s Club
Open license states
Where state law issues general off-sale licenses that cover spirits, such as California’s Type 21 license, warehouse clubs can sell liquor on the sales floor, subject to local rules. Washington also opened spirits sales to large stores after Initiative 1183 in 2011, generally limiting spirits licenses to stores with at least 10,000 square feet of retail space.
Separate store states
Some states require liquor to be sold in a separate, walled-off store. Florida is the best-known example: Governor Rick Scott vetoed a 2017 bill that would have removed this “liquor wall,” so retailers there must keep spirits apart from other merchandise.
Texas
Texas law bars publicly held corporations from holding package store permits. The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld that rule in 2019, and the Supreme Court declined to hear Walmart’s appeal in November 2020. As a result, Sam’s Clubs in Texas do not sell hard liquor. For beer timing there, see what time Texas stops selling beer.
Control states
Seventeen states control the sale of spirits at the wholesale level, the retail level, or both. In retail control states such as Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina, spirits are sold through state, local board, or agency stores, so warehouse clubs generally do not stock liquor. In wholesale-only control states such as Iowa and Michigan, licensed private retailers sell spirits to consumers, so availability depends on the individual club’s license.
Do you need a membership to buy alcohol at Sam’s Club?
Usually yes, but not everywhere. Some states require alcohol retailers to sell to the general public, which overrides a warehouse club’s members-only policy for alcohol purchases. The CT Mirror reports that Connecticut law requires this and that Massachusetts, New York, and Michigan have similar rules, and it notes that the requirement covers warehouse clubs including Sam’s Club. In those states, shoppers 21 and older can buy alcohol without a membership, though you may need to ask staff to let you into the store or the liquor department. Bring valid ID either way.
How to check whether your Sam’s Club sells liquor
- Use the Sam’s Club app or website. Set your home club and search for a spirits brand. If no spirits appear for that club, it likely does not carry them.
- Call the club. Ask whether it sells spirits, whether there is a separate liquor area, and what hours apply.
- Check your state regulator’s license lookup. Most state alcohol agencies show what a given location is licensed to sell.
If your club does not sell liquor, a nearby warehouse competitor may; our guide to Don Julio 1942 at Costco covers one popular holiday bottle. For gifting ideas beyond spirits, see the best wine for a Christmas gift, or compare a delivery option with our guide to the Firstleaf wine club.
Buying spirits in bulk: know your sizes
Warehouse clubs often stock large formats. A fifth is 750 ml, about 25.4 ounces; see how much is a fifth of alcohol for the conversions. At 40% ABV, a 750 ml bottle holds about 17 US standard drinks, since one standard drink equals 1.5 ounces of 80 proof spirits, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Our guide to how many ml are in a shot helps when you portion drinks for a party. If you are curious about the economics behind liquor retail, read how much liquor stores make.
Frequently asked questions
Does every Sam’s Club sell liquor?
No. Sam’s Club sells spirits only where state and local law allow it to hold a spirits license, and each club’s license determines what it can stock.
Does Sam’s Club sell liquor in Texas?
No. Texas bars public corporations from holding package store permits, and Sam’s Club is part of Walmart Inc., a public company.
Can you buy alcohol at Sam’s Club without a membership?
In some states, yes. Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Michigan are among the states where alcohol must be sold to the general public, according to the CT Mirror.
Why does my Sam’s Club sell beer and wine but not liquor?
Most states license spirits separately from beer and wine. Your club may hold only a beer and wine license, or state law may not allow it to sell spirits.
Sources
- US Constitution, Twenty-first Amendment, Section 2.
- CT Mirror, Connecticut warehouse club liquor sales and membership rules (October 30, 2025).
- Libation Law Blog, SCOTUS denies Wal-Mart’s petition for cert over Texas ban on public corporations holding retail liquor licenses (November 24, 2020).
- KXXV, Walmart loses round in bid to sell hard liquor in Texas (August 2019).
- WPLG Local 10, Scott vetoes bill that would tear down Florida’s liquor wall (May 25, 2017).
- Washington State Legislature, Initiative 1183 summary.
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, What Is a Standard Drink? (niaaa.nih.gov).
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