Alcohol laws are laws relating to manufacture, use, as being under the influence of and sale of alcohol (also known formally as ethanol) or alcoholic beverages. Common alcoholic beverages include beer, wine, (hard) cider, and distilled spirits (e.g., vodka, rum, gin). Definition of alcoholic beverage varies internationally, e.g., the United States defines an alcoholic beverage as "any beverage in liquid form which contains not less than one-half of one percent of alcohol by volume". Alcohol laws can restrict those who can produce alcohol, those who can buy it (often with minimum age restrictions and laws against selling to an already intoxicated person), when one can buy it (with hours of serving or days of selling set out), labelling and advertising, the types of alcoholic beverage that can be sold (e.g., some stores can only sell beer and wine), where one can consume it (e.g., drinking in public is not legal in many parts of the US), what activities are prohibited while intoxicated (e.g., drunk driving), and where one can buy it. In some cases, laws have even prohibited the use and sale of alcohol entirely.

The temperance movement is a social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote complete abstinence (teetotalism), with leaders emphasizing alcohol's negative effects on health, personality, and family life. Typically the movement promotes alcohol education, as well as demands new laws against the selling of alcoholic drinks, or those regulating the availability of alcohol, or those completely prohibiting it. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Temperance Movement became prominent in many countries, particularly English-speaking and Scandinavian ones, and it led to Prohibition in the United States from 1920 to 1933.

Some countries forbid alcoholic beverages or have forbidden them in the past. People trying to get around prohibition turn to smuggling of alcohol – known as bootlegging or rum-running – or make moonshine, a distilled beverage in an unlicensed still.

Canada imposed prohibition at the beginning of the 20th century, but repealed it in the 1920s.

In India, manufacture, sale or consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the states of Bihar, Gujarat, Manipur and Nagaland, as well as the union territory of Lakshadweep. Prohibition has become controversial in Gujarat, following a July 2009 incident in which widespread poisoning resulted from alcohol that had been sold illegally.

All Indian states observe dry days on major religious festivals/occasions depending on the popularity of the festival in that region. Dry days are specific days when the sale of alcohol is banned, although consumption is permitted. Dry days are also observed on voting days. Dry days are fixed by the respective state government. National holidays such as Republic Day (26 January), Independence Day (15 August) and Gandhi Jayanthi (2 October) are usually dry days throughout India.

Two Nordic countries (Finland and Norway) had a period of alcohol prohibition in the early 20th century.

In Sweden, prohibition was heavily discussed, but never introduced, replaced by strict rationing and later by more lax regulation, which included allowing alcohol to be sold on Saturdays.