Munich Upholds Ban on Late-Night To-Go Alcohol Sales in University Quarter
Munich, July 22, 2026 – The sale of take-away alcohol in Munich’s university district can be restricted under certain conditions, an administrative court has confirmed. The ruling upholds a ban on to-go alcohol sales between 10 PM and 5 AM in the area, directly affecting establishments with late-night off-premises sales.
The administrative court in Munich declared the city’s ban on the sale of all alcoholic beverages for take-away between 10 PM and 5 AM to be lawful, according to a court spokesperson. Only the threatened penalty of 5,000 Euros for violations was overturned. The lawsuit was filed by a restaurateur who sells bottled beer, which was prohibited during nighttime hours.
Court Signaled Its Stance Early
The court had indicated during oral arguments the previous day that it might consider a sales ban to be legitimate. The area around Schellingstrasse in Schwabing frequently experiences gatherings of revelers, leading to noise complaints. The court stated that these gatherings should be attributed to those selling take-away beer.
The district surrounding the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) near the English Garden is a popular entertainment area with numerous pubs and restaurants. The City of Munich had received significant complaints from residents regarding nightly noise, public urination in doorways and courtyards, and broken glass around kiosks and restaurants. This prompted the city to reintroduce a ban that had been previously withdrawn last year, should the situation not improve.
At the start of this year’s outdoor season, all affected businesses had voluntarily committed to not selling bottled beer or take-away alcohol after midnight, according to the city. Posters also urged party-goers to use toilets and waste bins and to keep noise levels down after 10 PM. However, these measures initially had little effect.
Kiosk Lawsuits to Be Heard in September
According to a spokesperson for the Kreisverwaltungsreferat (KVR), the city now intends to await the outcome of further proceedings before making a decision. In September, the administrative court will hear three similar lawsuits filed by kiosk owners. This hearing was originally scheduled for Tuesday but was postponed due to the illness of the plaintiffs’ lawyer.
Furthermore, the current ruling is not yet legally binding. It also includes the lifting of the requirement to ban the sale of other goods after closing hours, the ordered covering of goods, and the threatened penalty. This condition merely reiterates the legal prohibition and was therefore deemed unnecessary by the administrative court.
