Lucknow’s “home bar licence” scheme doesn’t seem to be very popular yet. According to official data, only 12 residents have taken the licence so far this year.
Under the revised excise rules, people can legally keep only a small amount of alcohol at home without a licence — 1 litre of country liquor, 1.5 litres of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) or foreign liquor, 2 litres of wine, 6 litres of beer, and 6 litres of low-alcohol drinks. If anyone wants to store more than this, they must apply for a home bar licence.
District Excise Officer Karunendra Singh said the licence allows individuals to keep over 100 bottles of liquor, beer, wine, vodka, or rum at home. But despite this big allowance, very few people are applying for it.
The application process requires self-attested copies of the last three income tax returns. Even people in the 20% tax bracket with no tax liability due to agricultural income can apply, provided they are permanent residents of Lucknow. The annual fee is ₹11,000, along with a refundable security deposit of the same amount.
Officials said they act quickly on any information about people storing liquor beyond the allowed limit without a licence, which can lead to penalties or legal trouble. They also clarified that liquor purchased from outside Uttar Pradesh can only be stored in sealed bottles, and not more than 1 litre.
Interestingly, there are still no clear rules on how excise officials can regulate duty-free alcohol.
