Microbrewery Licence in Haryana
A microbrewery brews beer on site and serves it fresh to customers in the same restaurant or pub. In Haryana it needs an excise licence that sits on top of the bar licence, plus FSSAI, fire and pollution approvals for the brewhouse. We file each application in the order the departments expect.
What it is
A microbrewery licence is the excise permission to brew beer inside a restaurant, pub or hotel and serve it there. In Haryana the microbrewery licence has been issued in form L-10C, and it works together with the L-4/L-5 licence that lets the outlet serve liquor on its premises. Beer brewed in a Haryana microbrewery cannot exceed 8% alcohol by volume.
The law behind it is the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 as it applies in Haryana, the Haryana Liquor Licence Rules, 1970 and the Haryana Excise Policy 2025-27, which runs from 12 June 2025 to 31 March 2027. The brewhouse is also a food business under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and beer must meet the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018.
Who it applies to
You run a restaurant or pub
You hold an L-4/L-5 licence, or are applying for one, and want to brew your own beer for your own guests.
You run a hotel
A hotel that wants a brewpub on the property, with the tanks on display and the beer served at the bar.
You are building a craft beer brand
Entrepreneurs who want to test recipes on real customers before building a full brewery. A microbrewery serves on the premises; selling beer through shops needs a different set of licences.
Why it matters
Stay on the right side of excise law
Making or selling beer without the excise licence is an offence under the Punjab Excise Act, 1914. And a sealed brewhouse, with the tanks already paid for, is a costly way to learn that.
Get four departments to say yes
Excise, FSSAI, the fire department and the Haryana State Pollution Control Board each look at the brewhouse. One missing approval holds up the opening.
Brew within FSSAI’s beer standards
The FSSAI standards for beer apply to what you brew. In July 2026 FSSAI issued notices to alcohol makers over added flavours and label claims, so recipes and menu claims need care.
Documents required
About the business
- Certificate of incorporation or LLP/partnership documents
- PAN and GST registration
- Board resolution naming the authorised signatory
- Existing L-4/L-5 licence, or the application for it
About the brewhouse
- Ownership or lease papers of the premises
- Layout plan showing the brewhouse, tanks and serving area
- Equipment list and installed brewing capacity
- Water source and effluent arrangement
Supporting approvals
- FSSAI licence covering beer manufacture
- Fire scheme approval and fire safety certificate
- HSPCB consent to establish and operate
- Municipal licence for the eating house
Approvals a microbrewery needs
| Approval | Authority | Why it is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Bar licence (L-4/L-5) | Excise and Taxation Department, Haryana | To serve liquor on the premises |
| Microbrewery licence (L-10C) | Excise and Taxation Department, Haryana | To brew beer on site, up to 8% v/v |
| FSSAI licence | FSSAI / State Food Safety | Beer is a food under the FSS Act, 2006 |
| Fire scheme approval and certificate | Haryana Fire and Emergency Services | Section 18 and 19 of the 2022 Act |
| Consent to establish and operate | Haryana State Pollution Control Board | Brewing discharges trade effluent (Water Act, Section 25) |
The bar licence fee alone was reported at ₹45 lakh in Gurugram and Faridabad, ₹35 lakh in Panchkula and Sonepat and ₹23 lakh in other districts under the 2025-27 policy. The microbrewery licence fee is fixed separately in the policy, and we confirm the current figure for your district before you commit.
Here is the catch. Picture a Gurugram restaurant on an upper floor that wants brewing tanks behind the bar. The tanks are heavy, the brewhouse needs drainage for wash water, and the fire department looks at the whole floor. Those questions decide whether the site works, long before the excise file is opened.
How it works
Check the site before you sign the lease
We check whether the building can take a brewhouse: floor loading, drainage, fire access and the municipal use of the premises. Walking away now costs a deposit. Walking away after the fit-out costs the brewhouse.
Apply for pollution and fire approvals
We file the consent to establish with HSPCB and coordinate fire scheme approval with your architect. Both look at the brewhouse before it is built.
Get the FSSAI licence
We apply for the FSSAI licence covering beer manufacture and food service, and check recipes and menu claims against the beer standards.
File the excise applications
We file the L-4/L-5 and microbrewery applications on the excise department’s portal at haryanatax.gov.in, with layout plans, capacity details and fees.
Clear inspections and start brewing
In practice, excise, fire and pollution officials each visit before final approval. Brewing starts once the consent to operate and the fire certificate are in hand.
Timelines
Excise licence ends 31 March 2027
Licences under the 2025-27 policy run until 31 March 2027. After that, Haryana’s excise policy follows the April–March financial year, so renewal comes every year from 1 April.
Pollution consent within four months
Under Section 25(7) of the Water Act, 1974, consent is deemed granted if the Board does not decide a complete application within four months.
Fire certificate renewed every three years
For hotels, business and assembly buildings covered by Section 18(2)(b) of the Haryana fire law, the fire safety certificate and its renewal are valid for three years.
What happens if a condition is breached
Sealing of the outlet
For a major violation, the Collector (Excise) can seal the establishment, with no compensation for the days it stays shut.
Pollution law penalties
The Board can order closure or cut power and water under Section 33A of the Water Act. Air Act penalties now start at ₹10,000 and can reach ₹15 lakh.
Fire law penalties
Under the Haryana Fire and Emergency Services Act, 2022, an offence can bring up to three months’ imprisonment or a fine up to ₹10,000, plus up to ₹1,000 a day while it continues.
Frequently asked questions
Which licence is needed to open a microbrewery in Haryana?
You need the excise microbrewery licence, issued in form L-10C, along with the L-4/L-5 licence that lets the outlet serve liquor on its premises. Both come from the Haryana Excise and Taxation Department under the Excise Policy 2025-27. On top of these, the brewhouse needs an FSSAI licence, fire approval and pollution board consent. We plan all five together, so the opening date holds.
What is the maximum alcohol content for microbrewery beer?
Beer brewed in a Haryana microbrewery cannot exceed 8% alcohol by volume. This cap is part of the excise conditions for microbreweries under the 2025-27 policy. Most craft lagers, ales and wheat beers sit well below it, so the limit rarely restricts a normal menu. Your brewer should still record the strength of each batch, so the cap is easy to show.
Can a microbrewery sell beer in bottles or to other outlets?
No. A microbrewery licence is meant for beer served to guests at the licensed premises. Selling packaged beer to shops or other bars is a brewery business, which needs separate manufacturing and wholesale licences, brand label approval and a bottling fee of ₹13 per bulk litre for brewers under the 2025-27 policy. Many founders start with a microbrewery and move to a brewery once their beer has a following.
Does a microbrewery need FSSAI approval?
Yes. Beer is covered by the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018, and the brewhouse and kitchen are food businesses. From 1 April 2026, a state licence covers turnover above ₹1.5 crore up to ₹50 crore, and smaller units can register instead. In July 2026 FSSAI issued notices to alcohol makers over flavour and age claims. We check your labels and menu claims as part of the filing.
Is pollution board consent required for a microbrewery?
Yes. Brewing produces trade effluent, and Section 25 of the Water Act, 1974 requires previous consent from the State Board to set up any process likely to discharge it. In Haryana you apply to HSPCB for consent to establish and then consent to operate. If the Board does not decide a complete application within four months, consent is deemed granted under Section 25(7).
What fire approvals does a brewpub need?
A brewpub needs fire scheme approval before work starts and a fire safety certificate once it is complete. Under Section 18(2) of the Haryana Fire and Emergency Services Act, 2022, this applies to all assembly buildings and to hotel or business buildings with more than 500 square metres on any floor. The certificate is valid for three years for these buildings. We coordinate the application with your architect.
How long does it take to set up a licensed microbrewery?
Plan for several months, mostly because the approvals run in sequence. HSPCB has up to four months to decide a complete consent application, and fire approval must come before the fit-out. The excise licences follow once the premises and supporting approvals are ready. We run the files in parallel wherever the law allows, so the brewhouse is not waiting on paperwork when the tanks arrive.
Should we register a trademark for our beer brand?
Yes, if you plan to build a name around your beer. Beers fall in Class 32 of the Nice Classification, not Class 33, which covers other alcoholic drinks. The government fee is ₹4,500 per class for individuals, startups and small enterprises filing online, and ₹9,000 for others. Filing before launch stops a later dispute over a name your guests already know.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
Government fees cover the L-4/L-5 bar licence (district figures above), the microbrewery licence fee under the policy, and the FSSAI, HSPCB and fire fees.
Ready to begin?
Share your site, district and brewing capacity, and we will map the excise, FSSAI, fire and pollution approvals for your microbrewery.