Board of License Commissioners

Alcoholic Beverages Laws/Regulations

Queen Anne’s County is regulated by the General Provisions (Titles 1-6) and the Local Provisions (Title 27) of the Alcoholic Beverages Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.

The Alcoholic Beverages Article can be accessed via the following link: Maryland Annotated Code, Alcoholic Beverages After reviewing the Terms & Conditions, click the “I agree” button, then select Alcoholic Beverages.

State-level provisions can be found under:

Division I. General Provisions Affecting Multiple Jurisdictions

Local provisions for Queen Anne’s County can be found under:

Division II
Title 27. Queen Anne’s County

Queen Anne’s County Licensees are also governed by Rules and Regulations promulgated by the Queen Anne’s County Board of License Commissioners. The Queen Anne’s County Board of License Commissioners’ Rules and Regulation Manual is available at the following link. Rules and Regulation Manual

Familiarity and Location on Site – Every licensee must read and be familiar with the Rules and Regulations Manual and must keep a copy of the current Rules and Regulations Manual (along with any addendums) near the cash register, bar, or area where the Manual is easily accessible for the licensee and/or their employees’ reference. All licensees must ensure that their employees read and are familiar with these Rules and Regulations. Prior to picking up a new, transferred, temporary, or renewal license, all licensees must sign, date, and return the Licensee Attestation page to the Board. The Licensee Attestation page is the last page of the manual and it indicates that all licensees have read and are familiar with the Rules and Regulations Manual and will act in accordance with them.
Alterations, Changes, and Deletions – Should the Board make any alterations, changes, or deletions to the Rules and Regulations, an addendum will be issued via email to each licensee detailing the change. The licensee shall affix a copy of the addendum to the Rules and Regulations Manual kept on site and ensure that their employees are aware of the change.

Comptroller of Maryland, Field Enforcement Division

The Comptroller’s Office is responsible for enforcing, among other things, the State’s trade practice regulations and revenue laws relating to alcoholic beverages. The Field Enforcement Division website can be accessed at the following link: Maryland Comptroller

A link to the Alcoholic Beverages Regulations under COMAR are found under Title 03.02.01 and can be accessed via this link: COMAR Title 03.02.01

The Comptroller’s Office has a page of frequently asked questions about alcohol that can be accessed via this link: Industry FAQs About Alcohol

Maryland Alcohol Licensing Ass’n.

The Maryland Alcohol Licensing Association is an organization comprised of Liquor Board members, Administrators, Alcohol Inspectors, Alcohol Enforcement Officers, Officials from the Office of the State Comptroller, and Attorneys for Licensing Boards who are dedicated to the training and education of Maryland citizens, business owners, and visitors in the various statewide and county laws, as they relate to alcoholic beverages in the state of Maryland. The Association’s webpage can be accessed via this link: MALA

State permits and licenses

Laws regarding Maryland State alcohol permits are found in the Alcoholic Beverages Article, Title 2, Subtitle 1, Parts I-VII.

State and Local Licenses Applicable to Queen Anne’s County

The types of local licenses available for Queen Anne’s County are listed in the Maryland Code, Alcoholic Beverages Article under Title 2, Subtitles 2-5 and Title 27, Subtitles 4-13. They are as follows:

Manufacturer’s Licenses

§ 2-202 Class 1 distillery license

§ 2-203 Class 9 limited distillery license

§ 2-204 Class 2 rectifying license

§ 2-205 Class 3 winery license

§ 2-206 Class 4 limited winery license

§ 2-207 Class 5 brewery license

§ 2-208 Class 6 pub-brewery license, subject to § 27-403 Class 6 pub-brewery license

§ 2-209 Class 7 micro-brewery license

§ 2-210 Class 8 farm brewery license

§ 2-212 Additional Licenses

Wholesaler’s Licenses

§ 2-302 Class 1 beer, wine and liquor wholesaler’s license

§ 2-303 Class 2 wine and liquor wholesaler’s license

§ 2-304 Class 3 beer, wine and liquor wholesaler’s license

§ 2-305 Class 4 beer wholesaler’s license

§ 2-306 Class 5 wine beer wholesaler’s license

§ 2-307 Class 6 limited wine beer wholesaler’s license

§ 2-308 Class 7 limited beer wholesaler’s license

§ 2-308.1 Class 8 Liquor wholesaler’s license

§ 2-311 Additional wholesaler’s licenses

Water Vessel, Railroad, and Aircraft Licenses

§ 2-402 Class E (water vessel) beer, wine, and liquor license

§ 2-404 Class F (railroad) beer and light wine license

§ 2-405 Class F (railroad) beer, wine, and liquor license

§ 2-406 Class G (aircraft) beer, wine, and liquor license

Beer Licenses

§ 27-601 Class A beer license

§ 27-602 Class B beer license

§ 27-603 Class C beer license

§ 27-604 Class D beer license

Wine Licenses

§ 27-701 Class A wine license

Beer and Wine Licenses

§ 27-802 Class A beer and wine license

§ 27-803 Class B beer and wine license

§ 27-805 Class D beer and wine license

Beer, Wine, and Liquor Licenses

§ 27-901 Class A beer, wine, and liquor license

§ 27-903 Class B beer, wine, and liquor license

§ 27-904 Class B-D beer, wine, and liquor license

§ 27-905 Class C beer, wine, and liquor license

§ 27-906 Class D beer, wine, and liquor license and Class 9 limited distillery license

Specialty Licenses

§ 27-1001 Beauty salon and barbershop beer and wine license

§ 27-1001.1 Conference center license

Additional Licensing Privileges

CLASS A DELIVERY PERMIT

Class A licensees may request a permit to deliver alcoholic beverages off the licensed premises pursuant to Alcoholic Beverages Article § 4-507. All requests must come before the Board; approvals for a Class A Delivery permit must be approved by the board at a hearing and memorialized in writing. The delivery permit fee is $120 per license year (May 1-April 30). All off-premise sales must be in factory sealed containers only. An individual under the age of 21 may not be employed or allowed to deliver alcoholic beverages unless the employee is accompanied by an employee over the age of 21. Board permission to deliver must be renewed each year at the time of license renewal. All licensees granted permission to deliver alcoholic beverages shall require identification from the recipient of the alcoholic beverages. All licensees shall maintain a delivery log, which includes the following information: the delivery employee’s name and age; the date of delivery; the type and amount of alcohol delivered; the delivery address; the name and age of the recipient of the alcoholic beverages, as well as the type of identification and identification number used to verify the same. The licensee may be required to produce the delivery log to the Liquor Inspector and/or to any other authorized agent of the Board of License Commissioners

There are some additional license privileges available to certain licensees as well. Those additional privileges are described in the Maryland Code, Alcoholic Beverages Article under Title 4, Subtitle 11 and Title 27, Subtitles 1101.

§ 4-1102 Corkage -- Consuming wine not purchased from license holder on licensed premises

§ 4-1103 Removal of partially consumed bottle of wine from licensed premises

§ 4-1104 Refillable container permit -- Draft beer, subject to § 27-1102 Refillable container permit – Draft Beer

§ 4-1106 Nonrefillable container permit -- Draft beer, subject to § 27-1103 Nonrefillable container permit – Draft Beer