Prince George's County - Alcoholic Beverages - Wine Festival Licenses PG 316-26

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0558*

HOUSE BILL 558
A2 6lr1045

By: Prince George’s County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 9, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Prince George’s County – Alcoholic Beverages – Wine Festival Licenses 2

PG 316–26 3

FOR the purpose of repealing the restriction on the number of wine festival licenses that 4
the Board of License Commissioners for Prince George’s County may issue annually; 5
repealing a prohibition on issuing a wine festival license for use in a certain 6
legislative district; and generally relating to alcoholic beverages licenses in Prince 7
George’s County. 8

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 10
Section 26–102 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 15
Section 26–1304 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20

2 HOUSE BILL 558

Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 1

26–102. 2

This title applies only in Prince George’s County. 3

26–1304. 4

(a) [In this section, “Festival” means the Prince George’s County Wine Festival. 5

(b) (1)] There is a [Prince George’s County Wine Festival license ] WINE 6
FESTIVAL LICENSE. 7

[(2) The Board may issue one license each year.] 8

[(c)] (B) The Board may issue the license to a holder of a retail license, Class 3 9
winery license, or Class 4 limited winery license. 10

[(d)] (C) The license authorizes the license holder to display and sell wine that 11
is: 12

(1) manufactured and processed in any state; and 13

(2) distributed in the State when the license application is filed. 14

[(e)] (D) A license holder shall display and sell wine: 15

(1) for on– and off–premises consumption; and 16

(2) during the hours and days designated for the [Festival] WINE 17
FESTIVAL. 18

[(f)] (E) (1) The Board shall: 19

(i) choose [a] THE location for the [Festival] WINE FESTIVAL that: 20

1. is not in the 24th Legislative District; and 21

2. is not already licensed; and 22

(ii) ensure that the primary focus of the [Festival] WINE FESTIVAL 23
is the promotion of Maryland wine. 24

(2) Subject to paragraph (3) of this subsection, each year the Board may 25
choose [1 weekend] THE WEEKENDS, Friday through Sunday, inclusive, for the [Festival] 26
WINE FESTIVALS. 27
HOUSE BILL 558 3

(3) The [weekend] WEEKENDS chosen for [the Festival] WINE FESTIVALS 1
may not: 2

(i) be within 14 days before or after the dates chosen for the 3
Maryland Wine Festival in Carroll County; or 4

(ii) conflict with the dates chosen for the: 5

1. Anne Arundel County Beer and Wine Festival; 6

2. Calvert County Wine Festival; 7

3. Charles County Beer and Wine Festival; or 8

4. Howard County Wine Festival. 9

[(g)] (F) The license holder may hold another license of a different class or 10
nature. 11

[(h)] (G) Wine displayed and sold shall be: 12

(1) invoiced to the license holder by a licensed wholesaler, Class 3 winery, 13
or Class 4 limited winery; and 14

(2) delivered to the [Festival] WINE FESTIVAL from the licensed premises 15
of the wholesaler, Class 3 winery, or Class 4 limited winery. 16

[(i)] (H) A holder of a wholesale, Class 3 winer y, or Class 4 limited winery 17
license may enter into an agreement with the license holder to: 18

(1) deliver wine not earlier than 2 days before the effective date of the 19
license; and 20

(2) accept returns not later than 2 days after the expiration date of the 21
license. 22

[(j)] (I) The Board may set the license fee. 23

[(k)] (J) The Board shall adopt regulations to carry out this section. 24

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 25
1, 2026. 26