What Time is ‘Last Call’ In New York State?
Last call for alcohol! Time to go home.
Last call is that time when customers are informed that closing time is approaching and that any further drinks should be bought immediately. This could mean the call to get your last drink goes out 15 to even 30 minutes before closing time, depending on how crowded the establishment may be.
But last call not only varies from state to state but also by individual municipalities that can adjust last call laws, according to Vine Pair.
What Time is Last Call in New York State?
According to an article published at Vine Pair, the time for last call can range from Midnight to 5 AM, depending on what state you're in. The general closing time across the country is 2 AM in most states.
See Also: Two Ways You Can Legally Drink Under 21 in New York State
New York state is a bit different though, for last call times can vary by a couple of hours depending on what town or county you're in, or even what day it may be.
The actual closing time is left up to each of New York's sixty-two counties, according to Wikipedia. According to the October 2022 graph at Vine Pair, there are cities and towns in the state such as New York City, Buffalo, and Albany where alcohol sales are pushed back until 4 o'clock.
According to the latest data from the New York State Liquor Authority, counties that have a 4 AM closing time are; Albany, Bronx, Columbia (Saturdays: 3 a.m.), Dutchess, Erie, Fulton, Greene, Kings (Brooklyn), Montgomery, Nassau, New York (Manhattan), Orange, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Washington, and Westchester.
However, other areas have voted to push back last call times in recent years. The City Council of Saratoga Strings, for example, voted in December 2022 to push back sales from 2 to 4 AM, according to Saratoga Today.
Wikipedia adds that Binghamton has a last call of 3 AM on Saturdays, while Elmira, Geneva, and Ithaca have a time of 1 a.m. Some rural counties across New York may be even earlier times.
Towns that Ban Alcohol in New York State
Gallery Credit: Rob Banks