Kansas Alcohol Related Laws and Regulations

Where to Buy Alcohol
Although laws may vary between counties in Kansas, alcohol is generally sold in retail package stores. Beer at 3.2 percent alcohol content is able to be sold in grocery and convenience stores. All liquor stores are closed on Sundays, but restaurants can serve on Sunday if local ordinances allow it.

Legal Age for Drinking/Serving Alcohol
The legal drinking age and the age to work as a bartender or sell hard liquor in a retail store is 21 in Kansas. At age 18, you can sell 3.2 percent beer and work as a server in a restaurant serving alcohol.

Open Container Laws
If the bottle of alcohol has been previously opened, it must be transported in the trunk of the vehicle.

BAC Limits
In Kansas, the maximum legal blood-alcohol content (BAC) level is .08 percent. If the driver exceeds this amount, they are considered ‘per se intoxicated’ and will be convicted of DUI (driving under the influence), as no further evidence is needed.

To discourage underage drinking and driving, ‘zero tolerance laws’ are enacted. If the driver is under the age of 21 and test with a BAC of .02 or more, they are subject to DUI penalties.

In Kansas, there is not an enhanced penalty for extremely high blood-alcohol concentration.

Penalties
When a person accepts a driver’s license, ‘Implied consent laws’ are signed into effect. Under this agreement, a driver must cooperate when asked for proof of insurance, a driver’s license, or to comply to check for intoxication with chemical testing. If the driver refuses to cooperate with a police officer on these laws, they are punished by mandatory license suspension for up to one year.

The penalties involved with suspension of the driver’s license by the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) will includes a suspension of 30 days for the first offense, and one year for the second and third offenses.

Although vehicle confiscation is not a penalty option in Kansas, installation of an ignition interlock device is possible when a second DUI conviction occurs. The driver may be subjected to alcohol education or treatment and assessment for alcohol abuse.

After the third conviction, DUI is considered a felony.