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Md. Code, Business Regulation § 16-201

This is the official text of Md. Code, Business Regulation § 16-201, part of Maryland’s Code, Business Regulation — governs general business licensing and regulation.

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§16–201.

Official statutory text

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

(b) “License” means:

(1) a license issued by the Executive Director under § 16–205(a) of this subtitle to:

(i) act as a manufacturer;

(ii) act as a subwholesaler;

(iii) act as a vending machine operator;

(iv) act as a wholesaler; or

(v) act as a storage warehouse; or

(2) a license issued by the clerk under § 16–205(b) of this subtitle to act as a retailer.

(c) “Licensed manufacturer” means a person licensed by the Executive Director under § 16–205(a) of this subtitle to act as a manufacturer.

(d) “Licensed retailer” means a person licensed by the clerk under § 16–205(b) of this subtitle to act as a retailer.

(e) “Licensed storage warehouse” means a facility licensed by the Executive Director under § 16–205(a) of this subtitle to act as a storage warehouse.

(f) “Licensed subwholesaler” means a person licensed by the Executive Director under § 16–205(a) of this subtitle to act as a subwholesaler.

(g) “Licensed vending machine operator” means a person licensed by the Executive Director under § 16–205(a) of this subtitle to act as a vending machine operator.

(h) “Licensed wholesaler” means a person licensed by the Executive Director under § 16–205(a) of this subtitle to act as a wholesaler.

(i) “Manufacturer” means a person who:

(1) (i) operates one or more cigarette manufacturing plants; or

(ii) is a participating manufacturer; and

(2) (i) sells unstamped cigarettes to a licensed cigarette wholesaler located in Maryland;

(ii) sells unstamped cigarettes that may lawfully be sold in Maryland to a licensed cigarette wholesaler located outside of Maryland;

(iii) unless otherwise prohibited or restricted under local law, this article, or the Criminal Law Article, distributes sample cigarettes to consumers located in Maryland; or

(iv) stores unstamped cigarettes in a cigarette storage warehouse in Maryland for subsequent shipment to licensed wholesalers, federal reservations, or persons out of state.

(j) “Participating manufacturer” has the meaning stated in § 16–501 of this title.

(k) “Retailer” means a person who:

(1) sells cigarettes to consumers through vending machines on fewer than 40 premises;

(2) otherwise sells cigarettes to consumers; or

(3) holds cigarettes for sale to consumers.

(l) “Stamped cigarettes” means a package of cigarettes to which tobacco tax stamps are affixed in the amount and manner required by § 12–304 of the Tax – General Article.

(m) “Storage warehouse” means a storage facility in Maryland operated for the purpose of storing unstamped cigarettes on behalf of a licensed cigarette manufacturer.

(n) (1) “Subwholesaler” means a person who:

(i) holds stamped cigarettes for sale to another person for resale; or

(ii) sells stamped cigarettes to another person for resale.

(2) “Subwholesaler” does not include a person who sells unstamped cigarettes or holds unstamped cigarettes for sale.

(o) “Unstamped cigarettes” means a package of cigarettes to which tobacco tax stamps are not affixed in the amount and manner required by § 12–304 of the Tax – General Article.

(p) “Vending machine operator” means a person who:

(1) holds cigarettes for sale to consumers through vending machines on 40 or more premises; or

(2) sells cigarettes to consumers through vending machines on 40 or more premises.

(q) “Wholesaler” means a person who:

(1) holds cigarettes for sale to another person for resale; or

(2) sells cigarettes to another person for resale.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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.