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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0390*
SENATE BILL 390
A2 6lr3139
CF 6lr1900
By: Wicomico County Senators
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Wicomico County – Class A Beer, Wine, and Liquor License – Alterations 2
FOR the purpose of prohibiting the Board of License Commissioners for Wicomico County 3
from issuing a Class A beer, wine, and liquor license for use at certain restaurants, 4
subject to certain grandfather provisions; clarifying that the prohibition against 5
issuing multiple licenses to an individual or for use by an entity does not apply to 6
the issuance of a Class A beer, wine, and liquor license for use at certain restaurants; 7
prohibiting the Board from issuing more than a certain number of Class A beer, wine, 8
and liquor licenses for use in each county councilmanic district; repealing the 9
authority of a Class A beer, wine, and liquor license holder to purch ase liquor for 10
retail sale from an alcoholic beverages wholesaler; and generally relating to alcoholic 11
beverages licenses in Wicomico County. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 14
Section 32–102 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 18
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 19
Section 32–901 and 32–1502 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 22
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 23
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 24
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 25
32–102. 26
2 SENATE BILL 390
This title applies only in Wicomico County. 1
32–901. 2
(a) There is a Class A beer, wine, and liquor license. 3
(b) (1) (I) [A] BEFORE JULY 1, 2026, A license may be issued only to an 4
establishment that has been: 5
[(i)] 1. issued a Class B license; and 6
[(ii)] 2. continually operating as a restaurant in the county since 7
at least 3 months before the application for the license. 8
(II) ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 2026, A LICENSE: 9
1. MAY NOT BE ISSUED TO AN ESTABLISHMENT THAT HAS 10
BEEN ISSUED A CLASS B LICENSE; AND 11
2. MAY BE RENEWED FOR AN ESTABLISHMENT THAT HAS 12
A CLASS B LICENSE THAT WAS ISSUED BEFORE JULY 1, 2026. 13
(2) The Board may not issue a license to an establishment that is a 14
corporation or limited liability company unless the license applicant owns 75% of the total 15
issued capital stock of the corporation or the limited liability company. 16
(3) The Board may issue not more than [three licenses in the county] ONE 17
LICENSE FOR USE IN EACH COUNTY COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT. 18
(c) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the license authorizes the 19
license holder to sell beer , wine, and liquor, at retail at the place described in the 20
application, for off–premises consumption. 21
(2) [The] FOR A LICENSE ISSUED TO A CLASS B LICENSE HOLDER 22
BEFORE JULY 1, 2026, THE place described in the application: 23
(i) may not exceed 20% of the area normally used in the operation 24
of the restaurant business; and 25
(ii) shall be contiguous to and adjoin the restaurant establishment. 26
(d) The license may not be issued for a drugstore unless the applicant: 27
(1) has been doing business at the location applied for in the license for at 28
least 1 year before the date of the application for the license; 29
SENATE BILL 390 3
(2) is the assignee of a business established for at least 1 year before the 1
date of the application for the license at the location applied for; or 2
(3) has been engaged in the retail drug business for at least 3 years. 3
(e) (1) The license holder shall purchase liquor for retail sale from a county 4
dispensary [or from a wholesaler]. 5
(2) A dispensary may not charge the license holder more than 15% above 6
the wholesale operating cost to the dispensary. 7
(f) The annual license fee is $4,400 and is in addition to [the] ANY fee THAT MAY 8
BE paid for [the] A Class B license. 9
32–1502. 10
The prohibitions against one person being issued more than o ne license under § 11
4–203 of this article do not apply to: 12
(1) a Class 6 pub–brewery license issued under § 2–208 of this article or a 13
Class 7 micro–brewery license issued under § 2–209 of this article; [or] 14
(2) A CLASS A BEER, WINE, AND LIQUOR LICEN SE ISSUED UNDER § 15
32–901 OF THIS TITLE BEFORE JULY 1, 2026, TO A HOLDER OF A CLASS B LICENSE; 16
OR 17
(3) a Class B beer, wine, and liquor license issued under § 32 –902 of this 18
article if: 19
(i) the resident applicant is a resident of the county at the tim e of 20
application; and 21
(ii) the minimum capital investment in the premises is at least 22
$200,000 or the premises have a fair market value of at least $200,000. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 24
1, 2026. 25