blue law

Blue law is a colloquial term for a state statute or ordinance that forbids or regulates entertainment and commercial activities (e.g. the sale of liquor) on Sundays or religious holidays. Blue laws may also be referred to as Sunday closing laws, Sabbath laws, and uniform day of rest laws. Originating in England, blue laws were enacted through colonial America to protect the Christian Sabbath as mandated by the Fourth Commandment. Despite centuries of change, blue laws remain in effect in many states even today.

Blue laws have frequently been challenged as violations of the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. While the Supreme Court has acknowledged the overtly religious origins of blue laws in McGowan v. Maryland,366 U.S. 420 (1961), they were upheld as advancing the secular purpose of creating a uniform day of rest.

See e.g., Providence Square Associates, L.L.C. v. G.D.F., Inc. 211 F.3d 846 (2000).

[Last reviewed in June of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]

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