In the United States, the Supreme Court upheld that the blue laws were constitutional, recognized their religious origins, but cited secular justifications that resulted, including providing a day of rest to the general population. [9] [10] In the meantime, various state courts have struck down the laws either as unenforceable or as a violation of their state constitutions. In response, state lawmakers have re-enacted some Sunday laws to comply with the rulings, while some of the other laws are allowed to remain in effect with no intention of enforcing them. [11] Sunday sports competitions were illegal in Pennsylvania until 1931; When questioned by the Philadelphia A`s, the laws were changed so that baseball could only be played on Sundays. In 1933, Bert Bell, who understood that the requirements for an NFL franchise granted to him were changes to the Blue Laws,[63] played the leading role in convincing then-Governor Gifford Pinchot to submit a bill to the Pennsylvania legislature rejecting the Blue Laws. [63] The Legislative Assembly passed the law in April 1933, paving the way for the Philadelphia Eagles to play on Sundays. The law also required local communities to hold referendums to determine the status and scope of blue laws in their respective jurisdictions. [64] [65] On November 7, 1933, the Referendum on the Blue Laws was passed in Philadelphia and became law. [66] [67] Although California does not have blue laws, some states still do, as do some counties in the United States.

These laws primarily regulate alcohol, but some regulate the sale of other products and restrict certain activities on Sundays. For example, despite this boost, many blue laws were repealed in the decades following McGowan, as a result of changing social norms. Nine states — Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Carolina and Missouri — still have some sort of Sunday “general law” (a law like Maryland`s, which prohibits all activities, with a few exceptions) in books. [iv] Most other states have a short list of prohibited or regulated items and activities. This can include things like gambling, sex toys (look, Florida), and selling a car. [v] But of course, by far the most common restrictions are on the purchase or sale of alcohol. In a landmark 1961 case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that department store employees who were penalized for selling on a Sunday had in fact violated blue laws. He noted that while the laws came from the Christian faith and encouraged church attendance, they were also appropriate to provide a uniform day of rest for all citizens and promote the secular values of general welfare, health and safety. Bergen County enforces one of the few remaining Sunday closure laws.

Purchases of clothing, electronics and furniture are not allowed on Sundays in Bergen County, which has four major shopping malls. In Bergen County, Paramus has stricter blue laws that prohibit all types of Sunday work except in grocery stores, pharmacies, hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality jobs. HB 3013, when it goes into effect, would allow South Carolina communities to put the issue to a vote, allowing residents to decide for themselves whether they want alcohol retail to be allowed in their communities every day of the week, not just Monday through Saturday. South Carolina lawmakers failed to get hb 3013 passed out of the House before the April 10 transition period, meaning the bill cannot move forward this year and must be resubmitted for implementation in 2023. Still, South Carolina lawmakers could still allow Sunday alcohol retailing this year by changing HB 3013 to another bill passed by a house before the transition period expires. Two other neighboring states, Georgia and Tennessee, have passed legislation in recent years to allow the sale of spirits on Sundays. If South Carolina lawmakers follow suit, polls show it would be a popular reform that would have to be passed in an election year. Most of the blue laws regarding daily activities such as household chores and travel had disappeared by the end of the colonial era, but restrictions to limit alcohol consumption and maintain Sunday as a day of rest remained. [ix] For a great article on local blue laws, see this article from New York Even before prohibition, some states had laws banning alcohol, and they were even stricter. These have been called dry laws of bones.

States that did not have boneless laws passed them during Prohibition to stop widespread smuggling. For example, Indiana has banned the consumption of alcohol for any reason, including for medical and sacramental purposes and has increased penalties for violations. The Vourt`s decision in the McGowan case resulted in the regulation of Sunday activities being left to the states, resulting in a patchwork of rules that vary from county or municipality to county. His requirement is a cessation of work. In its decree, the legislature legally punished a rule of conduct that recognizes the entire civilized world as essential to the physical and moral well-being of society.