The Government of Assam has made several important changes in the State Excise Department. The Excise Department promulgated the Assam Excise Amendment Rules 2026 with the approval of the Governor of Assam. Alcohol can be sold under the new rulesStrict guidelines have been issued regarding location of liquor outlets and transfer of license or sale rights. The new rules came into effect across the state from the date of publication of the official notification.
Under the new rules, wholesalers and retailers of domestic and foreign liquor as well as beer will now have to pay a minimum guaranteed revenue to the government. This revenue is divided into four parts for the entire year25, 26 and 27 percent. Failure to pay revenue on time will attract a penalty of 10 percent and additional interest at the rate of half percent per month for late payment. The distance between two liquor stores has also been tightened. In case of opening of new shops or shifting of old shops, distance between two shops in Kamrup Metropolitan District shall be minimum 500 meters. Similarly, distance of one kilometer in other municipal corporations, municipalities and town council areas and two kilometers in rural areas has been made mandatory.
New rules have also been issued regarding the size of liquor bottles. Retail outlets must only sell liquor in bottles of minimum 180 mm or more with seals and lids. A minimum of seven hundred and fifty millimeter bottles shall be used in serving sit-down meals to customers in bars or shops. A standard measure used to serve liquor to customers equals sixty millimetres‘B. Also, in case of transfer of liquor shops, the District Commissioner may permit the transfer of shops outside the Municipal Corporation within a district with the prior permission of the Excise Commissioner. State government permission is required for relocation within municipal areas. Henceforth liquor shops cannot be moved from village to town, but from town to village. Similarly, shops can be transferred from Kamrup Metropolitan District to other districts but cannot be brought from other districts to Kamrup Metropolitan District. No inter-district transfer shall be allowed within three years of the license.
Rules have also been amended to protect the trade in indigenous liquor traditionally produced by tribal communities in Assam. The maximum production capacity of the micro production plant of indigenous liquor has been fixed at 1000 liters per day. Various license fees for domestic liquor have been reduced from Rs 25,000 to Rs 15,000 and from Rs 5,000 to Rs 5,000. The rules include a new category called Assam-made liquor.The strength of which will be seventeen tenths one two percent. The application fee for its production license is Rs 1 lakh and for sales outlet license Rs 50,000.