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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0415*
HOUSE BILL 415
A2 6lr1019
By: Prince George’s County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: January 22, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters and Government, Labor, and Elections
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Prince George’s County – Alcoholic Beverages – Class A Beer and Class A Beer 2
and Wine Licenses – Retail Grocery Establishments 3
PG 304–26 4
FOR the purpose of establishing a certain exception in Prince George’s County to the 5
prohibition against issuing alcoholic beverages licenses for use in conjunction with 6
or on the premises of supermarkets; authorizing the Board of License Commissioners 7
for Prince George’s County to issue a Class A beer or Class A beer and wine license 8
for use in conjunction with or on the premises of certain retail grocery establishments 9
located in certain areas of the county; establishing that a certain prohibition against 10
being issued or using more than one alcoholic beverages license does not apply to a 11
license issued under this Act; and generally relating to alcoholic beverages licenses 12
in Prince George’s County. 13
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 15
Section 4–203, 4–205, and 26–102 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 19
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 20
Section 26–1501(c) and 26–1509 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 23
BY adding to 24
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 25
Section 26–1509.1 26
Annotated Code of Maryland 27
2 HOUSE BILL 415
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 1
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 3
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 4
4–203. 5
(a) Except as otherwise provided in Division II of this article, Title 3, Title 4, or 6
Title 5 of this division, or subsection (b) of this section, more than one license may not be 7
issued: 8
(1) to an individual; or 9
(2) for the use of a partnership, a corporation, an unincorporated 10
association, or a limited liability company. 11
(b) (1) A single individual may hold Class B beer, wine, and liquor licenses or 12
Class BLX or equivalent licenses issued by different local licensing boards only for 13
restaurants, hotels, or motels. 14
(2) The number of licenses that a single individual may hold is limited only 15
by the cap imposed by each local licensing board on the licenses that the local licensing 16
board issues. 17
(3) The licenses may be issued for the use of: 18
(i) the license holder; or 19
(ii) a partnership, a corporation, an unincorporated association, or a 20
limited liability company. 21
(c) Except as otherwise provided in Division II of this article or Title 3, Title 4, or 22
Title 5 of this division, an individual may not be issued in the State more than one Class A, 23
Class C, or Class D license for the use of: 24
(1) that individual; or 25
(2) a partnership, a corporation, an unincorporated association, or a 26
limited liability company. 27
4–205. 28
(a) This section does not apply to: 29
HOUSE BILL 415 3
(1) an establishment that already holds a Class A, Class B, or Class D beer 1
license, beer and wine license, or beer, wine, and liquor license; or 2
(2) a license holder that sells alcoholic beverages at discount prices. 3
(b) A local licensing board may not issue a Class A, Class B, or Class D beer 4
license, beer and wine license, or beer, wine, and liquor license for use in conjunction with 5
or on the premises of: 6
(1) a chain store; 7
(2) a supermarket; or 8
(3) a discount house. 9
26–102. 10
This title applies only in Prince George’s County. 11
26–1501. 12
(c) The following sections of Tit le 4, Subtitle 2 (“Issuance or Denial of Local 13
Licenses”) of Division I of this article apply in the county: 14
(1) § 4–202 (“Authority of local licensing boards”), in addition to §§ 26–1502 15
and 26–1503 of this subtitle; 16
(2) § 4–203 (“Prohibition against issuing multiple licenses to individual or 17
for use of entity”), subject to [§ 26–1505] §§ 26–1505 AND 26–1509.1 of this subtitle and 18
Subtitle 13, Part III and Subtitle 16, Part II of this title; 19
(3) § 4–204 (“Prohibition against issuing multiple licen ses for same 20
premises”), subject to § 26–1505 of this subtitle and Subtitle 13, Part III of this title; 21
(4) § 4–205 (“Chain store, supermarket, or discount house”), subject to [§ 22
26–1509] §§ 26–1509 AND 26–1509.1 of this subtitle; 23
(5) § 4–208 (“Notice of license application required”), subject to § 26 –1512 24
of this subtitle; 25
(6) § 4–209 (“Hearing”), in addition to § 26–1511 of this subtitle; 26
(7) § 4–211 (“License forms; effective date; expiration”), in addition to § 27
26–1508 of this subtitle; 28
(8) § 4–212 (“License not property”), subject to § 26 –1506 of this subtitle; 29
and 30
4 HOUSE BILL 415
(9) § 4–213 (“Replacement licenses”), subject to § 26–1517 of this subtitle. 1
26–1509. 2
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section AND § 26–1509.1 OF THIS 3
SUBTITLE, the Board may not issue a license that has an off–sale privilege to: 4
(1) an establishment commonly known as a chain store, supermarket, or 5
discount house; or 6
(2) a franchisor, franchisee, or concessionaire of the establishment. 7
(b) An establishment described in subsection (a) of this section that held a license 8
on July 1, 1973: 9
(1) may continue to hold the license; and 10
(2) at the discretion of the Board, may change the class of the license. 11
26–1509.1. 12
(A) THIS SECTION A PPLIES ONLY IN AREA S OF THE COUNTY LOCATED 13
INSIDE THE CAPITAL BELTWAY. 14
(B) THE BOARD MAY ISSUE A CLASS A BEER LICENSE OR CLASS A BEER 15
AND WINE LICENSE TO AN APPLICANT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION FOR USE 16
IN CONJUNCTION WITH OR ON THE PREMISES O F A SELF–SERVICE RETAIL 17
ESTABLISHMENT: 18
(1) THAT IS INDEPENDENTLY OWN ED OR PART OF A CORP ORATION 19
OPERATING A CHAIN OF RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS UNDER THE SAME TRADE NAME; 20
(2) THAT OFFERS FOR SALE A FU LL LINE OF FOOD PROD UCTS IN AT 21
LEAST SIX OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: 22
(I) FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES; 23
(II) FRESH AND UNCOOKED MEAT, POULTRY, AND SEAFOOD; 24
(III) DAIRY PRODUCTS; 25
(IV) CANNED FOODS; 26
(V) FROZEN FOODS; 27
HOUSE BILL 415 5
(VI) DRY GROCERIES AND BAKED GOODS; OR 1
(VII) NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; 2
(3) THAT HAS A MINIMUM OF 50% OF THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE 3
PUBLIC AREA OF THE RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT DEDICATED TO THE SAL E OF FOOD 4
OR BEVERAGES LISTED IN ITEM (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION; AND 5
(4) FOR WHICH AT LEAST 50% OF THE AVERAGE MONTH LY GROSS 6
RECEIPTS ARE DERIVED FROM THE SALE OF FOOD PRODUCTS. 7
(C) THE PROHIBITIONS AGAINST ONE PERSON OR ENTITY BEING ISSUED OR 8
USING MORE THAN ONE LICENSE UNDER § 4–203 OF THIS ARTICLE DO N OT APPLY 9
TO A CLASS A LICENSE ISSUED UNDER THIS SECTION. 10
(D) ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1 EACH YEAR, THE BOARD SHALL REPORT 11
TO THE GOVERNOR AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 12
GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE NUMBER OF LIC ENSES 13
ISSUED AND LICENSE APPLICATIONS PENDING UNDER THIS SECTION AND THE 14
AVERAGE MONTHLY PERCENTAGE OF GROSS RECEIPTS DERIVED FROM THE SALE OF 15
FOOD PRODUCTS FOR EACH LICENSE HOLDER DURING THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR. 16
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 17
1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 5 years and, at the end of June 30, 2031, 18
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 19
of no further force and effect. 20