UPDATED AUGUST 31, 2020 – Today Governor Roy Cooper issued Executive Order 162, extending the July 23 ban on alcohol sales after 11 pm until Friday, October 2, 2020. “North Carolina has made good progress stabilizing our COVID-19 numbers, and this order will help us continue it,” said Governor Cooper. “Now is the time to continue staying cautious and vigilant as we work to beat this pandemic.”

The order’s restrictions apply to the unincorporated parts of Mecklenburg County, the city of Charlotte, and the towns of Matthews, Mint Hill, Pineville, and Davidson. Violators of the county order could be charged with a class-2 misdemeanor. Local law enforcement agencies will enforce the order, which will be in effective until 5 p.m. on Friday, October 2. The order could be rescinded earlier or extended past that date, depending on Mecklenburg County coronavirus-transmission data.

Read the original full proclamation.

Original Prohibitions Remain in Place

The extension of the order makes no changes to the original ban: While restaurants may continue offering food delivery or pick-up after 11 p.m., they may not serve on-site customers between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Restaurants may not allow customers to eat or drink while standing or sitting at bar counters. Games that involve sharing equipment, like pool, darts, and pinball machines, are also prohibited until October 2. The business restrictions outlined in the proclamation include:

• Restaurants serving only food and non-alcoholic beverages may continue to operate during advertised hours provided social-distancing and mask-wearing requirements are followed.
• Restaurants and private clubs serving food and alcohol will stop onsite consumption of food and beverages and no customers will be present for the onsite consumption of food and beverages between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
• Restaurants may continue drive through, delivery, and/or pick-up services after 11 p.m. as long as there is no onsite consumption of food and beverages.
• Restaurants, breweries, wine shops, private clubs, bars, and other businesses/organizations permitted to sell alcohol to onsite customers may not sell alcohol between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.  No customers may be present for onsite consumption of alcohol between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
• Restaurants, private clubs and other food and beverage service businesses may not provide onsite outdoor table service for the consumption of food or alcoholic beverages in Mecklenburg County, City of Charlotte, and the Towns of Matthews, Mint Hill, Pineville, or Davidson between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
• No offsite table service for the consumption of food and beverages is allowed by restaurants, private clubs, and other food and beverage service businesses between 11p.m. and 5 a.m.
• No sitting or standing at bars for food and beverage consumption is allowed at restaurants, bars or other food and beverage service businesses.
• Restaurants, private clubs, bars and other food and beverage service businesses should NOT allow customers and patrons to touch shared surfaces such as bar counters or game equipment like pool tables, darts, pinball machines, or any other such game equipment that requires social touching of the game equipment.
• All outdoor activities, gatherings, or events of more than twenty-five people are prohibited. (Worship services, religious and spiritual gatherings, funeral ceremonies, wedding ceremonies, and gatherings for health and safety, for work, to obtain food, or to obtain government services are exempt from this section.)

The restrictions do not apply to alcohol sold at convenience or grocery stores, wine and liquor stores, or retail business.