Vijayawada, September 14, 2026: The Andhra Pradesh government will conduct a draw of lots on September 30 for retail liquor shops that fail to renew their licences under the new excise policy for 2026-27, with September 21 set as the deadline for all 3,736 liquor shops across the state to apply for renewal
Excise Commissioner Chamakuri Sridhar said the renewal process for existing licensees had been taken up and the department had finalised the schedule to ensure all renewed shops were ready for operation from October 1, 2026. District collectors have already published gazette notifications for renewal of shops in their respective districts.
Of the 3,736 retail liquor shops approved for the 2026-27 excise year covering the period from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027 3,396 will be in the open category and 340 will be reserved for Geetha Kulalu. Existing licensees wishing to continue their shops for another year must complete the renewal process within the September 21 deadline.
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Shops for which existing licensees do not apply for renewal, or those that remain unrenewed for any other reason, will be taken up for fresh allotment through the draw of lots on September 30. A separate gazette notification for fresh applications will be published on September 22 covering all unrenewed shops. Applications for fresh allotment will be accepted from September 22 to 29, providing seven working days for prospective applicants. Those seeking fresh allotment must pay a non-refundable application fee of ₹3 lakh along with a prescribed fee of ₹1,000. A minimum of four applications will be required for conducting the draw of lots for any individual shop.
Sridhar said: “The department is taking steps to complete the renewal and fresh allotment process before the commencement of the new licence period. The draw of lots for non-renewed shops will provide an opportunity for new applicants to secure licences for shops that are not retained by existing licensees.”
The announcement is part of Andhra Pradesh’s broader effort to streamline its retail liquor trade following policy reforms introduced under the new state government, which reversed several restrictive measures put in place between 2019 and 2024 and allowed national brands to re-enter the market alongside private retail operators.
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