The Government of Himachal Pradesh on March 31, 2026, issued amendments to the Himachal Pradesh Liquor License Rules 1986.
The following amendments have been stated:
• The sub-rule 37 (32) shall be substituted as under :-
37 (32) “If any licensee, having in his possession on the expiry or determination from any other cause of his license, any intoxicants which he is unable to dispose off, he shall at once surrender the same to the Collector. The Collector (Excise) shall make such intoxicant over, in any quantity not exceeding that which the transferee is likely to sell within two months to the incoming license or otherwise to any license within the district who is licensed to sell intoxicants of the kind surrendered, provided that if any such intoxicants be declared unfit for use, after chemical analysis, the Collector (Excise) shall cause the same to be destroyed.
In such a case if the liquor after chemical analysis is found unfit for human consumption/ expired liquor, the Collector shall cause the same to be destroyed. Further, if the liquor after chemical analysis is found to be fit for human consumption, then in such case the Collector shall dispose of such liquor in the following manner :
iii. To auction such liquor “and”
iv. In case if no such licensee is willing to purchase such liquor then Collector shall auction the liquor to the distilleries for re-distillation “and”
If the distilleries also refuse to re-distil the same because of insufficient/ less quantity, then the Collector shall destroy such liquor.”
• The sub-rule 38 (2) (e) under rule 38 shall be substituted as under :-
38 (2) (e) “If the retail licensee is found to be indulged in overcharging or selling below the Minimum Retail Sale Price then the particular vend shall be sealed for one day by DCSTE (Excise) under intimation to the Collector (Excise). In case of subsequent violations by the same licensee in any of his vends then the vend where violation has been detected shall be sealed for two days. The sealing of vend shall be in addition to any other penal proceedings under the Law that may be initiated”
• A new sub-rule 38(2) ( j )after sub-rule 38 (2) (i)shall be added as under :-
38(2)( j ) “If a licensee possesses more than 5 cases of any type of liquor of other licensee unit then apart from the applicable provisions of the HP Excise Act, 2011, the District In-charge shall impose a penalty of Rs. 25,000. In addition to this, if any person/licensee carries/possesses liquor in plastic bottles/pouch, then apart from the applicable provisions of the HP Excise Act, 2011 the District Incharges shall impose penalty of Rs. 50,000/- .”
• In Rule 38 (26A), after sub-rule 26(A) (f), a new sub-rule 26 (A) (g) shall be added as under :-
A licensee holding L-19A licence shall be allowed by the Collector (Excise) of the Zone to transfer/ sale its stock, including all kinds of spirits used under the L-19A licence, to another licensee holding an L-19A license, subject to the condition that the selling licensee furnishes a consent certificate from the transferee licensee.
Further, the transferee licensee must hold a license in form L-19A for the relevant financial year. In addition to this, the licensee shall have to pay permit fee and transfer fee as applicable.
[Notification No. 7-1/2026-EXN9602]
