Can a municipality impose a later opening hour for “Class A” beer and/or liquor retail establishments?

Yes. State law currently allows retail Class "A" beer and "Class A" liquor establishments to open for sales at 6:00 a.m.  However, municipalities may impose more restrictive hours by ordinance for both types of these carry-out establishments. Wis. Stat. secs. 125.32(3)(d) and 125.68(4)(b).

If a community has incorporated ch. 125 by ordinance and the community wants later opening hours, such as 8:00 a.m, to apply to carry out beer and liquor stores, they will need to adopt an ordinance establishing a later allowable opening hour. Similarly, if a community has an ordinance stating that the earliest morning opening hour for retail beer and liquor stores is 8:00 a.m. "as specified in secs. 125.32(3) and 125.68(4)" or similar language, the community should amend the ordinance to remove any reference to the state law since it allows a 6:00 a.m. opening.