Overview

• Bars will operate from 10 a.m. to midnight under the New Bar Policy effective September 1, 2025.
• The state has capped licences at 840 and reserved an additional 10% for the Geetha Kulalu toddy-tapper community with a 50% fee concession.
• Licence tenures run from September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2028, with fees set at ₹35 lakh, ₹55 lakh or ₹75 lakh by population tier, payable in six instalments and rising 10% annually.
• All licences will be allotted through public draws requiring at least four valid applicants per outlet, and retail operations return to private players under the new framework.
• Bars will be allowed in urban local bodies and tourism centres but barred near religious pilgrimage routes, including approaches to Alipiri and Tirumala.