1. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the Board may not issue a new license for an establishment whose entry is within 1,000 feet in a straight line from the entry of a place of worship or school.

2. (b) The prohibition against issuing a license in subsection (a) of this section does not apply to:

   1. (1) the transfer of a license from the current license holder to a new license holder, unless the transfer would allow the sale of alcoholic beverages by another establishment within the 1,000-foot restriction;
   2. (2) a nonprofit club or nonprofit organization;
   3. (3) a restaurant that held a license at the time the restaurant was destroyed by fire, flood, windstorm, or other act of God, if a new place of worship or school has not been constructed within the 1,000-foot restriction;
   4. (4) the issuance of a Class H beer and wine (on-sale) license or beer, wine, and liquor (on-sale) license;
   5. (5) the issuance of a motel-restaurant complex or hotel-restaurant complex beer, wine, and liquor (on-sale) license;
   6. (6) the issuance of a Class BLX (deluxe restaurant) (on-sale) beer, wine, and liquor license;
   7. (7) the issuance of a gift basket permit; or
   8. (8) the issuance of a Class B beer and wine (on-sale) license or Class B beer, wine, and liquor (on-sale) license for an establishment located within 1,000 feet of a school located at the Annapolis Mall.

3. (c) For an establishment that is within 1,000 feet of the grounds of a place of worship or school, the Board:

   1. (1) may renew a license;
   2. (2) may extend the area of the licensed premises; but
   3. (3) may not change the operational classification of an existing license, unless the change is from a Class B, Class C, or Class D license to a Class H license.

Added by Acts 2016, c. 41, § 2, eff. July 1, 2016. Amended by Acts 2016, c. 110, § 1, eff. July 1, 2016; Acts 2020, c. 306, § 1, eff. July 1, 2020; Acts 2020, c. 307, § 1, eff. July 1, 2020; Acts 2025, c. 838, § 1, eff. July 1, 2025; Acts 2025, c. 839, § 1, eff. July 1, 2025.