Maryland’s liquor laws are administered on two levels: the state Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission (ATCC) licenses manufacturers and wholesalers, while 25 local liquor boards handle retail licenses, hours, and enforcement in their jurisdictions.1Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission. Local Alcohol Jurisdictions in Maryland Anyone who sells, serves, or transports alcohol in the state has to work within that split system, and the penalties for getting it wrong run from a $2,500 fine for a first offense of furnishing alcohol to a minor up to license revocation and jail time.
Who Regulates Alcohol in Maryland
The ATCC is the state-level agency.2Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission. Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission It regulates and licenses distilleries, breweries, wineries, and wholesalers, and it issues direct wine shipper permits.3Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission. Alcohol Licensing, Permits, and Resources
Everything else — retail licensing, renewals, transfers, inspections, and disciplinary hearings — happens at the county or city level. Each of Maryland’s 25 jurisdictions runs its own liquor board with authority to fine, suspend, or revoke.4Carroll County Government. Board of License Commissioners (Liquor Board) That decentralization is why hours, fees, and application procedures look different in Baltimore City than in a rural county, and why the first stop for any retail question is your local board rather than the state.
License Classes
Retail license categories are defined in the state Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article, but each local board attaches its own conditions and fees. The core classes:
- Class A covers off-premises sales — the standard package goods store selling beer, wine, and liquor to take home.
- Class B is for on-premises consumption at restaurants and similar venues. In Baltimore City, Class B licensees can operate seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- Class C is for nonprofit private clubs and fraternal organizations serving members and guests.
- Class D covers taverns. Baltimore City issues six-day and seven-day Class D licenses, both closing at 1 a.m.5Baltimore City. License Types
Specialized licenses exist for wineries, breweries, and other operations. A Class 4 Limited Winery License, for instance, lets a holder ferment and bottle wine from Maryland agricultural products and sell it on-site. Beer-and-wine-only versions of most classes are also available at lower fees than the full beer, wine, and liquor version.
Getting a Retail License
Applications start with the local liquor board. An applicant must be at least 21, plan to manage the business personally or designate a named manager, and affirm that they will not sell to anyone under 21.6Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article Some counties add residency requirements.
The process includes a criminal background check through the Central Repository and a public hearing. Application statements are verified by affidavit, and personal and financial information has to be disclosed. A criminal record is not an automatic disqualifier; boards review records case by case, and the results sit in sealed envelopes viewable only to board members.
Fees are set locally. Baltimore City’s Class A beer, wine, and liquor license runs $2,060 a year.7Maryland General Assembly. Baltimore City Alcoholic Beverages Licensing Fees Smaller counties tend to charge less. Public notice is part of the application, and neighbors can appear at the hearing to support or oppose the license before the board decides.
Rules Once You’re Licensed
Hours of Sale
Permitted hours turn on jurisdiction and license class. Baltimore City lets Class B and Class C licensees serve from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week, with Class D taverns closing at 1 a.m.5Baltimore City. License Types Other counties set different hours, and some impose stricter Sunday rules. Confirm with your local board.
Drink Promotions
A licensee selling for on-premises consumption cannot require a customer to buy more than one drink at a time. That rule effectively bans forced two-for-one specials. Advertising also has to comply with state guidelines against misleading claims about the beverages being sold.
Alcohol Awareness Training
Every retail alcohol establishment must have at least one licensee or designated employee on-site holding a current alcohol awareness certification. Event-specific rules add to that baseline: wine and beer festivals need two certified agents present during service, catered events need a certified employee on-site at all times, and farmers’ market sampling stations require a certified agent as well.
Selling or Furnishing Alcohol to Minors
License holders and their employees cannot sell or provide alcoholic beverages to anyone under 21.8Justia Law. Maryland Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Code 6-304 Separately, the Criminal Law Article makes it a misdemeanor for any adult to knowingly furnish alcohol to a person under 21, or to allow underage drinking in a residence they own or lease. Penalties escalate quickly:
- First offense: fine up to $2,500.
- Second or subsequent offense: fine up to $5,000.
- If the minor drives and causes serious injury or death: up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.9New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Criminal Law Code 10-121
A narrow exception allows a family member to furnish alcohol to a minor in a private residence, and participants in a religious ceremony are also exempt.10Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Criminal Law Code 10-117 Those exceptions do not carry over if the minor then drives impaired and causes harm.
License Suspension and Revocation
Local boards can suspend or revoke a license for any cause they determine necessary to promote the peace or safety of the community.4Carroll County Government. Board of License Commissioners (Liquor Board) The standard is intentionally broad. Common grounds include selling to minors, violating operating hours, letting alcohol awareness certification lapse, or creating a public nuisance. Boards hold formal hearings and can impose graduated penalties from monetary fines through temporary suspension to permanent revocation.
Open Container Law
No occupant of a motor vehicle may possess an open container of alcohol in the passenger area while the vehicle is on a highway. A driver cannot be cited solely because a passenger has an open container, but the passenger can be. Consuming alcohol in a moving vehicle is prohibited for every occupant except the driver, whose conduct falls under the separate DUI/DWI rules.11Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code General Courts and Proceedings 10-125
Exceptions cover passengers in vehicles designed for paid transportation — buses, taxicabs, and limousines — along with the living quarters of motorhomes and recreational vehicles. An open container violation is not treated as a moving violation or a traffic offense under Maryland’s vehicle laws.11Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code General Courts and Proceedings 10-125
DUI and DWI
Maryland distinguishes driving while impaired (DWI) from driving under the influence (DUI), with DUI carrying the harsher consequences. Fines and jail time range from $500 and up to two months in jail for a lower-level first offense, up to $5,000 and five years for more serious or repeat violations. License suspensions run from 180 days to two years depending on blood alcohol level and prior offenses. A DWI conviction adds 8 points to your driving record. A DUI adds 12, which triggers license revocation.
Dram Shop and Social Host Liability
Maryland is one of the states without a dram shop law. If a bar overserves a patron who then drives drunk and injures someone, the injured person generally cannot sue the bar for damages. Maryland courts have held that individuals are responsible for their own choice to drink and that changing the rule is the legislature’s job, not theirs.
The same reasoning applies to social hosts. A private host who provides alcohol at a house party is not automatically liable when an adult guest causes harm afterward. Furnishing alcohol to a minor is the major exception: the criminal penalties above apply, and if that minor drives impaired and hurts someone, the enhanced penalties under §10-121 kick in.9New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Criminal Law Code 10-121 The absence of dram shop liability does not mean anything goes; it means an injured party generally has to pursue the intoxicated person rather than the establishment or host.
One-Day and Special Event Licenses
Organizations serving alcohol at a wedding, festival, or fundraiser can apply for a one-day alcoholic beverages license from the local liquor board in the county where the event will take place.12Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission. How Do I Obtain a One-Day Alcoholic Beverages License? Each board sets its own application, fees, and lead time, and busier jurisdictions may need several weeks to process a request. Alcohol awareness certification rules still apply on the day of the event, and some boards require coordination with local authorities on crowd control and public safety as a condition of the permit.