Alcohol regulations in Honduras

Licensing, import, labelling and tax rules for spirits. Researched May 2026.

Research guide, not legal advice. Compiled in May 2026 from the public sources listed at the bottom of this page. Duty rates, fees and rules change often: confirm with the regulator, a customs broker or local counsel before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Status: Dry areas exist
Legal drinking age: 18
Legal purchase age: 18

Licence to make spirits (distillery and bottling)

Licences needed: Sanitary Operating License (Licencia Sanitaria de Establecimiento), Municipal Operating Permit (Permiso de Operación), Environmental License/Permit (Licencia Ambiental), SAR Tax Registry, and IHADFA establishment certification.
Authority: Agencia de Regulación Sanitaria (ARSA), relevant Municipal Mayor's Office (Alcaldía Municipal), Secretaría de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente (SERNA), and IHADFA.
Documents: Application form, company incorporation deed, RTN (tax number), property title or lease contract, site layout and sanitary plans, manufacturing process flowchart, drinking water quality certification, and proof of administrative fee payment.
Fees: Varies by production scale and municipality; ARSA sanitary establishment license fees typically range between L 1,000 and L 5,000, plus municipal tax and environmental assessment rates.
Time to obtain: 2 to 6 months depending on municipal inspections and environmental category clearance.

Import licence and registration

Who can import: Any legally registered commercial entity or individual merchant in Honduras holding an active Tax Registry Number (RTN) and registered as an importer.
Licences or registrations: Sanitary Importer Authorization with ARSA, annual commercial importer registration with IHADFA (Acuerdo No. 01-2022), SAR tax compliance, and Customs Importer Registry with Administración Aduanera de Honduras.
Authority: Administración Aduanera de Honduras (Aduanas Honduras), ARSA, IHADFA, and SAR.
Documents: Legal representation power of attorney, company deed, RTN, product sanitary registration certificate issued by ARSA, and proof of IHADFA annual registration.
Fees: IHADFA annual scale-based registration fee and standard customs registration processing fees.
Time to obtain: 1 to 2 months.

Product and label registration

Required: yes
Process: Sanitary Registration (Registro Sanitario de Alimentos y Bebidas) and mandatory label pre-approval before commercialization and customs clearance, processed through ARSA's platform following Central American Technical Regulations (RTCA).
Authority: Agencia de Regulación Sanitaria (ARSA).
Documents and samples: Application form, Certificate of Free Sale (CLV) apostilled/legalized from the country of origin, qualitative-quantitative formula, physical-chemical analysis certificate, original label, draft commercial label mock-up compliant with RTCA 67.01.06:11, and proof of service fee payment; representative samples may be requested for laboratory testing.
Fees: ARSA official service recovery fee ('cuota de recuperación') typically ranges from L 2,500 to L 5,000 per product/presentation.
Renewal: Valid for 5 years; renewal application must be submitted prior to expiration.
Time to obtain: 1 to 3 months.

Import rules

No state import monopoly. Importers of record must clear goods through a licensed customs broker via the SARAH system accompanied by the DUCA (Declaración Única Centroamericana), commercial invoice specifying ABV and volume, transport documents, certificate of origin (for preferential tariff treatments), and certificate of analysis. Physical strip/excise stamps on bottles are not required, but each shipment is subject to customs fiscal controls and ARSA registration verification.

Import duty on spirits (HS 2208)

Base MFN tariff (Derecho Arancelario a la Importación - DAI) on spirits under SAC heading 2208 is generally 15% to 20% on CIF value; 0% preferential duty applies to qualifying products originating from the US (under CAFTA-DR) and the European Union (under the EU-Central America Association Agreement).

Excise and taxes

Distilled spirits are subject to: (1) Impuesto de Producción y Consumo (IPC / specific volumetric excise tax) adjusted annually by SEFIN based on inflation—under Acuerdo No. 155-2026, distilled spirits (whisky, vodka, gin, liqueurs) are taxed up to L 52.2817 per liter, with tiered specific rates per liter for rum and aguardiente depending on ABV; (2) Impuesto Sobre Ventas (ISV / Sales Tax) of 15% applied on the aggregate base.

Retail and distribution

Private commercial distribution across licensed supermarkets, grocery stores, specialty liquor stores, and on-premise venues (bars, restaurants, hotels). All vendors require a Municipal Operating Permit and IHADFA registration. Operating hours are governed by the Ley de Policía y Convivencia Social (general closing time 10:00 PM for standard cantinas/taverns; extended closing hours up to 2:00 AM on weekends for authorized tourism and entertainment venues under Decreto 18-2016). Sales to persons under 18 years are strictly illegal.

Online sale and delivery

Allowed under general electronic commerce and commercial retail guidelines; delivery services and e-commerce platforms must operate under a valid commercial entity and verify that the customer/recipient is at least 18 years old upon delivery.

Labelling

Mandatory compliance with RTCA 67.01.06:11. Labels must be in Spanish and state: product name/type, net content (SI units), alcohol content by volume (% Alc. Vol.), full list of ingredients/additives, name and address of manufacturer or importer/distributor, country of origin, lot identification, ARSA sanitary registration number, and the official health warning: 'El consumo excesivo de bebidas alcohólicas perjudica la salud'. Expiration date is exempt for spirits containing 10% ABV or more.

Advertising

Regulated under Constitution Art. 75, IHADFA regulations (Acuerdo No. 03-95), and the Ley de Policía y Convivencia Social. Alcohol advertising cannot target minors, feature underage models, portray alcohol consumption as enhancing social, sexual, or athletic success, or associate drinking with driving. Broadcast ads on radio and television are restricted to adult programming hours (after 8:00 PM / 10:00 PM) and must include visible/audible IHADFA-approved health warning messages.

Legal definitions of spirits

Regulated under Central American Technical Regulations (RTCA) and national food standards: Aguardiente (spirit distilled from fermented sugarcane/molasses, typically minimum 30% ABV); Rum/Ron (spirit distilled from sugarcane juice or molasses aged in oak barrels, typically minimum 35% to 37.5% ABV); Whisky, Vodka, Gin, and Brandy are recognized by raw material and distillation type with typical minimum ABV of 37.5% to 40%; neutral alcohol requires high-purity ethanol of 95% ABV or higher.

Dry or restricted areas

Municipalities enforce temporary dry laws ('Ley Seca') prohibiting alcohol sales and public consumption during Holy Week (Semana Santa, especially Good Friday and Holy Saturday), national election days, and specific local public holidays or curfews. Prohibited within designated zones surrounding schools, churches, and health centers.

Recent changes

SEFIN issued Acuerdo No. 155-2026 updating the specific Impuesto de Producción y Consumo (IPC) on alcoholic beverages with a 4.98% inflation adjustment, raising the maximum rate for distilled spirits up to L 52.2817 per liter effective June 2026.
Acuerdo Ejecutivo No. 218-2024 published in La Gaceta previously updated the annual IPC excise tax schedules by 3.88%.
Expansion of ARSA digital processing through the Portal Digital de Inversiones (PDI) for food and beverage sanitary registrations and import permit management.

Opportunities for exporters

Rising urban consumption of premium and super-premium spirits (such as single malt whiskies, aged rums, tequilas, and craft gins) paired with duty-free access under CAFTA-DR and the EU-Central America agreement offers steady commercial prospects for international brands distributing through established local beverage networks.

Regulators

Sources

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