While travelling by train, many people often wonder whether carrying sealed alcohol bottles is legally allowed or not. The answer is that Indian Railways itself does not have a very clear rule on this matter, but the decision largely depends on the excise laws of the states involved.
In simple terms, whether you can carry alcohol depends on the rules of the state from where your train starts and the state where you are going. Every state has its own excise laws. If you are travelling from a state where alcohol is legally available and your destination state is also not a dry state, then normally carrying a limited quantity of sealed alcohol is not considered illegal.
However, there can be some conditions like carrying a purchase bill or proof of purchase. On the other hand, if you are travelling to or passing through dry states like Bihar, Gujarat, Nagaland, or Mizoram – where alcohol is completely banned – you must avoid carrying it.
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In such states, carrying alcohol on a train is illegal. If caught, you can face fines and even imprisonment, even if the bottle is sealed. Therefore, before carrying alcohol on a train, you should check both your starting and destination states’ rules.
If alcohol is legal in both places, generally you can carry 1 or 2 bottles (each not exceeding 750 ml), and the bottles must be properly sealed. Along with that, you must also carry the bill or invoice of purchase. If you carry more than the permissible limit, you can be fined anywhere from ₹5,000 to ₹25,000. And if you are caught in a dry state, you may face both a fine and jail.