Costa Rica News – For all those looking to buy alcohol during Semana Santa in Costa Rica, you might have to drive a little bit to get some beer or your favorite spirit.

So far 17 municipalities have said they will apply “prohibition” during Good Thursday and Good Friday of Semana Santa, while 26 will permit the sale and 15 others will announce their decision in the coming days, according to the National Union of Local Governments (Unión Nacional de Gobiernos Locales).

Businesses violating the ban face closure and or a fine of between one and three basic salaries.

The ban on the sale of liquor, beer and wine is entirely up to each municipality as set out in Article 26 of the Ley de Regulación y Comercialización de Bebidas con Contenido Alcohólico, which states, “in the event that the MunicipalCouncils do not take an express agreement, automatically the dry law does not apply.

Among the municipalities confirmed prohibiting the sale liquor are:

Montes de Oca (San Pedro)
Moravia
Heredia Centre
Esparza
Puriscal
Turrialba
Alajuelita
Santa Barbara de Heredia
Flores
La Union
Alvardao
Oreamuno
Tarrazu
Aserri
Acosta
Poas

Yet to decide on whether to ban or not:

Santa Ana
Montes de Oro
San Isidro
Buenos Aires
San Jose
Paraiso
Cartago
Belen
Guatuso
Atenas
Orotina
Matina
Talamanca
Guacimo
Grecia

From QCostaRica