Md. Code, Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis § 11-1602
This is the official text of Md. Code, Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis § 11-1602, part of Maryland’s Code, Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis — regulates the sale and licensing of alcohol and cannabis.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§11–1602.
Official statutory text
§11–1602. IN EFFECT
(a) In this section, “assessment district” means a tax assessment district:
(1) established by the county; and
(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) 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) 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) to the transfer or renewal of a license that was issued on or before July 1, 2025;
(2) in the 6th tax assessment district; or
(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) the latest federal census; or
(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) to a location outside the assessment district in which the license was located on July 1, 2025; or
(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.
§11–1602. // EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 31, 2028 PER CHAPTERS 818 AND 819 OF 2025 //
(a) In this section, “assessment district” means a tax assessment district established by the county through local law.
(b) 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) In making its determination, the Board may consider whether the establishment for which the license would be issued is in:
(1) an assessment district in which the ratio of off–sale licenses per individual is more than one per 4,000 individuals; or
(2) an assessment district in which the ratio of off–sale licenses per individual is less than one per 4,000 individuals.
(a) In this section, “assessment district” means a tax assessment district:
(1) established by the county; and
(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) 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) 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) to the transfer or renewal of a license that was issued on or before July 1, 2025;
(2) in the 6th tax assessment district; or
(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) the latest federal census; or
(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) to a location outside the assessment district in which the license was located on July 1, 2025; or
(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.
§11–1602. // EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 31, 2028 PER CHAPTERS 818 AND 819 OF 2025 //
(a) In this section, “assessment district” means a tax assessment district established by the county through local law.
(b) 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) In making its determination, the Board may consider whether the establishment for which the license would be issued is in:
(1) an assessment district in which the ratio of off–sale licenses per individual is more than one per 4,000 individuals; or
(2) an assessment district in which the ratio of off–sale licenses per individual is less than one per 4,000 individuals.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Maryland?
Find a Maryland lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.