N
The Daily Insight

Who created the blue laws?

Author

Robert Guerrero

Updated on February 16, 2026

In his 1781 book General History of Connecticut, the Reverend Samuel Peters (1735–1826) used it to describe various laws first enacted by Puritan colonies in the 17th century that prohibited various activities, recreational as well as commercial, on Sunday (Saturday evening through Sunday night).

Likewise, people ask, where did blue laws come from?

Blue law, in U.S. history, a law forbidding certain secular activities on Sunday. The name may derive from Samuel A. Peters's General History of Connecticut (1781), which purported to list the stiff Sabbath regulations at New Haven, Connecticut; the work was printed on blue paper.

Secondly, when did the blue law start? 18th century

Correspondingly, why was the blue law created?

Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, are laws designed to restrict or ban some or all Sunday activities for religious reasons, particularly to promote the observance of a day of worship or rest.

When did the blue law end in Missouri?

BLUE LAW BLUDGEONED Missouri Ends 137-Year-Old Law — Desert Sun 14 March 1963 — California Digital Newspaper Collection.

Related Question Answers

Which state has the strictest alcohol laws?

Massachusetts

Where do blue laws still exist?

Blue laws are enforced in parts of the United States and Canada as well as some European countries, particularly in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Norway, keeping most stores closed on Sundays.

Why is alcohol not sold on Sundays?

Blue laws have been around since before Texas or the United States were founded. Their purpose, originally, was to prohibit the sale of certain goods on Sundays, a day traditionally meant to be spent in church and resting.

Are Blue Laws Legal?

Supreme Court rules blue laws are constitutional; leave regulations to state. The Court, while acknowledging the religious origins of the Sunday blue laws, held that they were constitutional.

Does Maine have blue laws?

In Maine, blue laws prohibit the sale of cars on Sundays. The law prohibiting hunting on Sundays in Maine may also be considered a blue law. Furthermore, blue laws prohibit many large stores from opening on three major holidays: Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.

What was it called when stores were closed on Sunday?

So called “blue laws” restricted stores from opening on Sunday, but now many businesses find it to be the busiest shopping day of the week. Tiffany Wolfe/The Ledger.

Why are liquor stores closed on Sunday in Texas?

Liquors stores are closed on that day and have been for decades. Texas is one of seven states that does not allow liquor to be sold on Sundays. This goes back to the so-called blue laws, which do not allow the sale of certain goods on certain days. Most of these laws were repealed more than 30 years ago.

What is Bergen County Blue Law?

Bergen County's blue laws restrict the sale of certain goods on Sundays, forcing all department, mall and most retail stores to close for the day. Everything from clothes to furniture to appliances are off limits.

What was the blue law in Missouri?

Missouri has remnant blue laws that restrict the sale of alcohol to certain times of day, and stores are required to get an supplemental liquor license to sell it at all on Sunday.

Can you buy alcohol on Sunday in MA?

According to WBUR.org, “Massachusetts' blue laws will now allow liquor stores in the state to open at 10 a.m. – instead of noon – on Sundays to sell alcohol without needing to get any special permission from local authorities.” How do you feel about Massachusetts' expanded alcohol sales on Sunday?

Can you buy beer on Sunday in VA?

Starting July 1, a new Virginia law will allow most stores controlled by the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control department to sell alcohol on Sundays. Beer and wine can be purchased on Sundays in the District, but the city continues to ban Sunday sale of spirits.

Does Texas still have blue laws?

But Texas is one of the few remaining states with “blue laws,” which limit the sale of certain goods on certain days of the week. Most blue laws were repealed in 1985, with two exceptions — liquor stores and car dealerships. They also cannot operate on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day.

What are the dry states?

Three states—Kansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee—are entirely dry by default: counties specifically must authorize the sale of alcohol in order for it to be legal and subject to state liquor control laws. Alabama specifically allows cities and counties to elect to go dry by public referendum.

Can a minor drink with parents in Missouri?

Drinking age

That is, Missouri law prohibits minors from possessing or purchasing alcohol. Missouri is one of six states, however, with a unique exception which allows a minor to be furnished alcohol by his or her parent or guardian.

Who wrote the Blue Laws of Connecticut?

Reverend Samuel Peters