The Government of Punjab on March 17, 2026, issued the Punjab Liquor Licence (Chandigarh 1st Amendment) Rules, 2026 to further amend the Punjab Liquor Licence Rules, 1956.
The following amendments have been stated:
• In Rule 25, for the clauses, (i), (i)(a), (i)(b), (ii), (iii), (iv) including note (2) & (3), (v), (v)(a) including note (3) & (4), (x), (xiii), the following shall be substituted, namely: -
“(i) During the Excise Policy Year 2026-27, The L-10B licence (to permit sale of Imported Foreign Liquor, Imported Beer, Imported Wine, Indian Wine and Ready-to-Drink alcoholic beverages up to 20 degree proof strength (except Indian Made Beer) through organized Departmental Stores.) shall be granted in policy year 2026-27 on the payment of the requisite license fee of Rs. 30 lakh. The L-10B license will be granted only to those Departmental Stores having a minimum annual turnover of Rs. 3 crore from taxable products under GST and will require, a valid active VAT & GST registration, and a minimum operational existence of two years. Provided that the licensee erects a separate screened enclosure in the store for this purpose. Provided further that the department store should have different segments of minimum of six categories of goods out of the following categories: (i) Grocery items (ii) Frozen foods, (iii) Sugary & Bakery items, (iv) Toiletries, (v) Cosmetics, (vi) Gift items (vii) Toys, (viii) Sports items, (ix) Electronic appliances, (x) Apparels, (xi) Office-Stationery, (xii) any other house hold goods.
The maximum annual quota of IFL to be lifted by a L-10 B licensee is fixed at 3000 PL. The L-10B licensee shall have to procure their supplies of all type of prescribed liquor from suppliers of U.T., Chandigarh after payment of requisite excise levies as per annexure – ‘F’. If the L-10B licensee requests to lift quota beyond the maximum fixed quota of IFL, the L-10B licensee shall be required to pay the additional quota fee, in addition to the applicable excise levies as prescribed in Annexure ‘F’. The additional quota lifting fee shall be Rs. 100 per case. The licence shall be non-transferable and non-shiftable, and liquor sale shall be restricted to a separately earmarked area not exceeding 25% of the carpet area of a departmental store having a minimum area of 1000 square feet. Sale hours shall be up to 12 midnight or at par with other retail licences as notified. The Excise & Taxation Commissioner, U.T. Chandigarh, shall have discretion to refuse grant of an L-10B licence in public interest. Any violation of licence conditions shall attract suspension or cancellation under the Excise Policy and the Punjab Excise Act, 1914, as applicable To UT Chandigarh. All L-10B Licensees will make adequate fire safety arrangements.”
“(i) (a) Licences for retail vend of Beer, Wine and Ready to Drink Beverages in a Hotel (L-3A) or in Restaurant for consumption on the premises (L-4A) or in a Bar (L-5A) will be granted having licence fee of Rs 4,00,000 for the Excise Policy Year 2026-27 (01.04.2026 to 31.03.2027).
The licence fee for licences issued in Form L-10A (Retail Vend of Draught Beer in a Restaurant) and L-10AA (Retail Vend of Wine for consumption on the premises) shall be Rs. 1,00,000/- and Rs. 50,000/- respectively for the Excise Policy Year 2026-27 (01.04.2026 to 31.03.2027).
In order to shift people from hard liquor to liquor with low alcoholic content, a license in form L-10C may be granted for retail sale of beer to be manufactured by Microbrewery. The licence may also be granted independently on payment of License Fee of Rs 12.00 Lac for Excise Policy Year 2026-27 (01.04.2026 to 31.03.2027). The Excise Duty shall be charged on the basis of its annual installed capacity of fermenting tanks @ Rs 30/- per BL annually and paid in equal quarterly installments and each installment will be paid by 15th of the start of the month of the each quarter failing which an interest @ 1.5% per month to be calculated on daily basis paid along-with the duty.
In case of any outbreak due to any type of pandemic, the licence fee for the licence in form L-10C will be charged on pro-rata basis i.e. proportionate reduction in licence fee will be given if the L-10C Licences are not allowed to open during the Excise Policy Year 2026-27 (01.04.2026 to 31.03.2027), because of L-10C Licences falling in containment zone or lockdowns announced by the Govt. of India/ Chandigarh Administration. No compensation of any type whatsoever in licence fee etc. will be given to the licensees on account of reduction in working hours. The licensee shall arrange to check the quality of raw materials used and the beer produced in the microbrewery by a chemist holding a degree in biochemistry/ specialization in the alcohol technology.
The beer produced in the Microbrewery shall be released for sale only after the said chemist certifies that such beer is fit for human consumption on daily basis.
Further, the licensee shall get tested the quality of its beer from a Government approved Lab & submit the report of the same on quarterly basis to Collector(Excise). The L-10C licensee shall sell Beer manufactured in his micro- brewery for consumption in lounges on the premises. He shall be allowed to sell Draught Beer in Kegs of 25 Litre and 50 Litre capacity against Excise Permits to licensees L-12C, L-3, L-4 and L-5, L-3A, L-4A and L-5A.
The Licensee, shall not pack beer in bottles, CANS or Pouches for sale. The licensee shall arrange to check the quality of Draught Beer before supply to the above mentioned licensees by a chemist holding a degree in biochemistry/ specialization in the alcohol technology and the consignment must contain the manufacturing date and expiry date on it.
(A) Hotels and Restaurants will be allowed to apply the licence in form L-3/L-4/ L-5, L-3A/ L- 4A/L-5A, L-10A, L-10AA before the commencement of their operations. However the licence will be granted only after the commencement of the operations of Hotel/Restaurant. The holder of licence in form L-3/L-4/L-5, L3A/4A/5A shall be eligible to apply for the grant of L-10C (Micro-Brewery) licence only after 15 days from the grant of licence in form L-3/L- 4/L-5, L-3A/4A/5A. It will be mandatory for the licensees to provide the facility of alcometer to the consumers for voluntary assessment of alcohol level at the Bar Licence premises of the hotels/ restaurants serving alcohol and a signage at the proper place mentioning clearly the permissible limits of consumption of alcohol as per relevant laws and also mentioning thereof ‘Be Safe-Don’t Drink and Drive’. Further, the hotel/Bars/Restaurants/Pubs licensee shall also mention clearly on the signage board that “Consumption & Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances is prohibited in Law and Punishable with Rigorous Imprisonment and Fine.” Bar Licences to be allowed to have an additional bar in the establishment on payment of 75% of the license fee of the bar and an additional place to serve liquor from the bar on payment of 25% of the license fee of the bar.
In case of any outbreak due to any type of pandemic, the licence fee for the licences in form L-3/L-4/ L-5, L-3A/ L-4A/L-5A, L-10A, L-10AA & L-12C will be charged on prorata basis i.e. proportionate reduction in licence fee will be given if these licences are not allowed to open during the Excise Policy Year 2026-27 (01.04.2026 to 31.03.2027), because of these licences falling in containment zone or lockdowns announced by the Govt. of India/ Chandigarh Administration. No compensation of any type whatsoever in licence fee etc. will be given to the licensees on account of reduction in working hours.
The bar timings for the purpose of sale, service and consumption will be 11:00 AM to 01:00 AM (past midnight) throughout the Excise Policy Year 2026-27 (01.04.2026 to 31.03.2027), except on dry-days and the last order for liquor will not be booked after midnight i.e. 12 O’clock. However, these timing can be further extended by 02 hours (i.e. upto 03:00AM past midnight with last order not being booked beyond 02:00AM past midnight) on payment of additional annual fee of Rs. 8 Lacs per annum. Category 'A’ Hotels are allowed to serve liquor round the clock to promote tourism. After allowing this facility, the licence fee for Excise Policy Year 2026-27 (01.04.2026 to 31.03.2027) of these hotels will be Rs. 30 lacs. Further, Category 'B’ Hotels and Category ‘C’ Hotels can also avail this facility after paying licence fee equivalent to that of Category 'A’ Hotels.
All the excise licensees will comply with the directions given with regard to working hours/ time schedule for opening & closing of establishments etc. announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, State Disaster Management Authority, U.T., Chandigarh and District Magistrate, U.T., Chandigarh from time to time to contain the spread of any type of pandemic and No compensation of any type whatsoever in licence fee will be given to the licensees on account of reduction in working hours. Further, if any licensee violates any of the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, State Disaster Management Authority, U.T., Chandigarh and District Magistrate, U.T., Chandigarh from time to time, then his licence may be suspended/ cancelled by the Collector (Excise).
Being L-3 Licence holder, the facility of Mini Bar for the occupants in all the rooms of the Category 'A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ are allowed in the current Excise Policy 2026-27 (01.04.2026 to 31.03.2027) and will also be covered under the same licence fee.
Category 'A’ hotels having L-3, L-4 and L-5 licences will be allowed to procure their requirements of Imported liquor (BIO Brands) also from authorized sources outside U.T. Chandigarh on payment of the label registration fee and all the excise levies applicable to L-1F/L-1DF and L-3/L-4/L-5 licensees.
To facilitate prospective bar (L-3/L-4/L-5) licensees, the licence fee schedule is fixed as under:-
1. In case, licence is granted on or before 30th September, 100% of the licence fee will be payable.
2. In case, licence is granted after 30th September, only 50% of the licence fee will be payable.
Provided that no license (Clubs/Bars etc.) will be renewed in case where adjudication of two breach cases have been finalized against the licensee in an Excise Policy year.
Provided further that every Bar licensee shall have to procure their supplies of all type of liquor only from nearest two retail sale vends i.e. L-2/L-14A licensees of U.T., Chandigarh after payment of requisite excise levies as per annexure – ‘F’.
Provided that where both of the nearest retail sale liquor vends i.e. L-2/L-14A licenses belong to the same entity, the Bar Licensee shall be permitted to procure liquor from the third nearest retail sale liquor vend i.e. L-2/L-14A licensee.
Provided further that in the event of non-availability of any particular liquor brand at the aforesaid two nearest retail sale liquor vends i.e. L-2/L-14A licensees, or three nearest retail sale liquor vends i.e. L-2/L-14 Licensee, as the case may be, the Bar Licensee may obtain liquor from any other retail sale liquor vend i.e. L-2/L-14A Licensee after obtaining such non- availability confirmation from above specified nearest vends.
These Rules shall come into force with effect from April 01, 2026, in respect of the procedure for the allotment of Liquor vends, Participation Fee, Earnest Money Deposit, Security Amount, Licence fee, Renewal of licences and Excise arrangements; and in respect of other matters.
[Notification No. E&T/ 2026/4133]
