People in Maharashtra, if you are planning on throwing a house party and serve alcohol at that party, you should be careful, very careful indeed! Little did the people know that serving alcohol at the solace of your own home in Maharashtra can get you a trip to the jail. Yup! You have read it right, if you are found serving liquor at your home without a liquor permit in the state of Maharashtra you can be fined, your booze will be seized and you can even get arrested.
According to the officials, if you are serving alcohol to more than 10 people at your home, either put in food or orally, you will be committing a criminal offense.
Vinay Shirke, Inspector and Deputy Superintendent at the State Excise Department, Mumbai said that people who consume alcohol must follow the rule and regulations of the state of Maharashtra. He told BloombergQuint, a renowned news agency, that the department will not shy in taking necessary actions when the rules will be broken, however, he also said that the department does not harass people who consume alcohol at the comfort of their homes and only take actions when they receive a complaint.
So, following the saying “Better be safe than sorry” we advise that if you are planning on throwing a house party where over 10 people will be consuming booze, then do get your liquor permit which are issued by the Excise Department.
In Maharashtra, a person should be 21 years old in order to consume liquor drinks which consume 5% alcohol, like mild beers, and you will not need a permit to do that, however, coming to hard liquor – drinks containing over 5% alcohol – you do need to be at least 25 years old. Hard liquor includes Scotch, Vodka, Whiskey, Gin, Strong Beers, Rum and others.
To serve alcohol at home to your guests you will need a 1 day liquor license, however, if you do not get a license and there are no complaints made by anyone against you, then you will be safe. As Shirke said, the Excise Department does not believe in harassing people.
However, if you are planning on throwing a grand event at a lawn, building compounds, terrace or any other place and are going to serve liquor, then it becomes absolutely mandatory to get the liquor license. The license will also be mandatory if the alcohol is only being used for preparing food and not oral consumption.
1 day liquor license will cost you Rs. 20,000 if you are hosting a commercial event and if it a house party, you will have to shell out Rs. 10,000 for the license.
One very important thing to note here is that booze bought from duty-free shops are strictly for self-consumption, which means that you cannot serve it at commercial or private events. However, if you are found serving alcohol (store or duty-free bought) to over 10 people even at your own home without a liquor license in Maharashtra and the department receives a complaint, not only the liquor will be seized, but a criminal case can be registered against the host and he/ she can be put behind the bars for this offense.
When the 1 day liquor license was introduced in Maharashtra, in the first 9 months itself the Mumbai Excise Unit earned Rs. 4.18 crore, and that’s just from Mumbai. This license is also valid for banquet halls and other party places. On an average, 25- 30 one day liquor licenses are issued every day in Mumbai.
If you wish to host a grand party at the comfort of your house and serve booze to your guests, because what’s a party without alcohol, right? Do not worry, we will tell you exactly how you can get the license.
First, you need to visit the Excise Department’s office closet to your area and tell them about your need, an official will then inspect your premise and sign a map. You need to upload that map on the official website of the Excise Department along with Photos, ID and Address proofs for registration.
Once done, the process will generate an ID Proof and Password which you can also use in the future as a temporary license.
To apply for your liquor license simply click on the link: https://exciseservices.mahaonline.gov.in/
