Is Liquor Cheaper In New Jersey Or Pennsylvania?

Alcohol is slightly cheaper in New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, the liquor taxes are more than what they are in New Jersey. 

Liquor prices in the United States vary immensely from place to place. Each state has its very own liquor laws.

Some states even have two-digit liquor taxes. There are a few things you should know when it comes to liquor prices in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

If you are someone who lives close to the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, this article is for you. Here I will elaborate on the alcohol pricing of the two states to help you plan your party better.

Is Alcohol In New Jersey Cheaper Than In Pennsylvania?

You will find that the alcohol prices in New Jersey are slightly lower than in Pennsylvania. The reason is that Pennsylvania has higher taxes on alcohol. 

Pennsylvania and New Jersey are two states that lie beside one another. Naturally, many people will assume that the prices of alcohol will be the same in these states.

However, that is not the case at all. There is a slight difference in liquor prices between the two states. 

In the United States, the states have the authority to make liquor laws. Hence, the rules for selling liquor also vary from one state to another.

As a result of varying liquor taxes and rules, the price of alcohol is also subject to change. This is one of the significant reasons why alcohol in New Jersey is cheaper than in Pennsylvania.

New Jersey has a $5.50 tax per gallon of alcohol. On the other hand, Pennsylvania has a higher tax on alcohol and spirits.

The tax amount set for Pennsylvania is $7.21 per gallon of alcohol. This naturally means that Pennsylvania has to have a higher selling price of alcohol.

Although the difference is not a lot, it doesn’t change the fact that alcohol is cheaper in New Jersey. However, if you buy alcohol at a discount, the price in Pennsylvania will be closer to that of New Jersey. 

If you are living in Pennsylvania and thinking of buying liquor in New Jersey, you need to make some calculations. I would recommend you calculate gas prices before deciding to purchase liquor from New Jersey. 

Can You Buy Alcohol In NJ And Bring It To PA?

You can buy alcohol in New Jersey and bring it back to Pennsylvania without any issue. However, if you transport alcohol in large quantities, you may have to pay Pennsylvania taxes.

Now, it’s not entirely illegal to bring back alcohol from New Jersey to Pennsylvania. Earlier, people used to get caught and fined for the same.

However, bringing back alcohol from across borders is no longer illegal.

If you get caught by the police for carrying excess amounts of alcohol, you may have to pay extra taxes. However, it’s not a given that you will be caught every time you bring alcohol. 

Why Are Pennsylvania Liquor Laws So Strict?

Pennsylvania liquor laws are strict because the people in the state prefer it to be so. From the prohibition era, the government and the people mostly wanted Pennsylvania to be a dry state.

Although the liquor laws have loosened recently, these laws have been strict even in the past. For some reason, the people in Pennsylvania also preferred these strict laws that limited alcohol purchases.

Their main aim was to discourage the purchase of alcohol. Making stricter laws was able to do so quite effectively.

However, in 2016, the government passed two bills that made it easier to buy alcohol. Hopefully, in the future, Pennsylvania will become more lenient.

Final Remarks 

So, I have shared all the information I had about liquor prices and laws in Pennsylvania. I hope I was able to make things more straightforward for you. 

Before you jump into your car and drive off to New Jersey for alcohol, I suggest you put in more effort and think things through. If you can justify the gas prices of traveling to New Jersey, I would say go for it.

If you have missed anything from this article, here’s a quick recap of what I’ve discussed.

It is cheaper to get alcohol in New Jersey than in Pennsylvania. However, the prices will be more or less the same if you buy liquor at a discount.