Md. Code Ann., Alc. Bev. & Cannabis § 11-1602 – Restriction on off-sale licenses

(a) In this section, “assessment district” means a tax assessment district:
1. (1) established by the county; and
2. (2) shown on the official map adopted by the County Council titled “Tax Assessment Districts, 2005”.
(b) Subject to subsection (c) of this section, the Board may issue a Class A (off-sale), Class B (off-sale), or Class D (off-sale) license based on its determination of whether the license is necessary to accommodate the public.
(c) If the application is for a Class A (off-sale) or Class D (off-sale) license, the Board may not issue the license if:
1. (1) the establishment for which the license would be issued is located in an assessment district in which the ratio of off-sale licenses per individual exceeds one for every 3,500 individuals; or
2. (2) the issuance of the license would cause the ratio of off-sale licenses per individual in an assessment district to exceed one for every 3,500 individuals.
(d) Subsection (c) of this section does not apply:
1. (1) to the transfer or renewal of a license that was issued on or before July 1, 2025;
2. (2) in the 6th tax assessment district; or
3. (3) to an application for an on-site consumption permit under § 2-207 of this article by an applicant that holds a Class 5 brewery license.
(e) The population of each assessment district is to be determined by:
1. (1) the latest federal census; or
2. (2) estimates prepared by the Anne Arundel County Office of Planning and Zoning.
(f) The Board may not approve the transfer of a Class A (off-sale) license or Class D (off-sale) license:
1. (1) to a location outside the assessment district in which the license was located on July 1, 2025; or
2. (2) if the license was not in existence as of July 1, 2025, to a location outside the assessment district in which the license was originally issued.

Added by Acts 2016, c. 41, § 2, eff. July 1, 2016. Amended by Acts 2020, c. 69, § 1, eff. July 1, 2020; Acts 2020, c. 70, § 1, eff. July 1, 2020; Acts 2025, c. 818, § 1, eff. July 1, 2025; Acts 2025, c. 819, § 1, eff. July 1, 2025.