Powerball ticket sales usually stop 1–2 hours before the drawing time, but the exact cutoff depends on the state where you buy the ticket. Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
General cutoff window
Most states close sales roughly 60–120 minutes before the 10:59 p.m. ET drawing on draw days. That means many in Eastern and Central time zones can typically buy until around mid- to late-evening local time, while some Mountain and Pacific states stop sales earlier in the evening.
State differences
Each state lottery sets its own deadline, so there is no single nationwide “last minute.” For example, some states cut off right around 10:00 p.m. local time in the Eastern time zone, while a state like California often stops sales around 7:00 p.m. Pacific time on drawing days.
How to know your exact time
To find how late you personally can buy a ticket, check your state lottery’s official website or ask a local lottery retailer, because they list the exact cutoff by local time. It is safer to buy earlier in the day or even the day before, since busy jackpots can create lines and you might miss the deadline if you cut it too close.
