SB 897

WES MOORE, Governor  Ch. 826
Chapter 826
  (Senate Bill 897)
AN ACT concerning
  Cecil County – Alcoholic Beverages – Alteration of License Quota
FOR the purpose of altering the quota on the number of alcoholic beverages licenses that
     the Board of License Commissioners for Cecil County may issue to apply only to
     Class A licenses based on a certain ratio; and generally relating to alcoholic
     beverages in Cecil County.
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
      Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis
      Section 17–102
      Annotated Code of Maryland
      (2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
      Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis
      Section 17–1601
      Annotated Code of Maryland
      (2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
      SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
  Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis
17–102.
      This title applies only in Cecil County.
17–1601.
      (a)     (1)   Subject to paragraph (2) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2)
OF THIS SUBSECTION AND SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (3) of this subsection, the Board
may not issue a number of CLASS A licenses that, in the aggregate, exceeds 1 for every
[400] 1,200 2,000 registered voters or major fraction in the county, as determined by the
current registration of voters.
  (2)
  THE BOARD MAY ISSUE NOT FEWER THAN 2 CLASS A LICENSES IN
EACH ELECTION DISTRICT OF THE COUNTY.
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Ch. 826  2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
  (2) (3) [A Class BLX beer, wine, and liquor restaurant license, Class C club
license, motel–restaurant complex license, hotel–restaurant complex license, or Class GC
(golf course) beer, wine, and liquor (on–sale) license] NO OTHER CLASS OF LICENSE may
[not] be counted in the computation of the aggregate number of licenses.
       (b)   The quota shall be computed and applied separately for each election district
of the county.
      SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
1, 2026.
Approved by the Governor, May 26, 2026.
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