This is everything you need to know regarding buying alcohol in Maryland. If you’re thinking, the laws are the same across states in the mid-Atlantic, think again. Maryland has some unique laws regarding when and where you can buy alcohol that are quite different from its neighbors in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and across the U.S.
Keep reading to find out:
- Where can you buy alcohol in Maryland?
- Current Maryland alcohol laws
- Proposed changes to the law
- Do Marylanders support the new legislation?
Where to Buy Alcohol in Maryland
Can you buy alcohol at grocery stores?
Most grocery stores are not permitted to sell alcohol of any kind due to a 1978 statewide prohibition. A handful of grandfathered in chains are permitted to sell beer and wine, subject to individual county laws. If this seems confusing, you’re not alone. Your support is needed to create uniform standards, promote purchase options and a choice in alcohol sales.
Can you buy alcohol at pharmacies or wholesale clubs?
Yes and no. Maryland laws grand-fathered permission in 1978 for a limited number of chain stores to sell beer and wine, subject to county laws. Wholesale club members like Costco, BJ's and Sam's Club and are out of luck in Maryland, with D.C, being the closest retailer. Clear standards across retail locations are needed but need your help to change antiquated laws. Join us and contact your legislator now.
Can you buy alcohol at gas stations and convenience stores?
Senate Bill 763 sought to change Maryland’s restrictive laws regarding locations and licensing for alcohol sales in convenience stores while meeting specific food standards. Many Maryland communities have an excess of liquor stores but have few fresh food options in their communities. Opening the sales of alcohol locations can simultaneously promote new and sustaining existing healthy food options for these areas.
Can you buy alcohol on Sunday?
Laws regarding the purchase of alcohol on Sunday can vary by county in Maryland. Where permitted, hours vary slightly, but typically fall within the hours of 8:00am - 11:00pm, with individual stores varying hours at their discretion. Several counties such as Prince George’s and Baltimore counties, do not allow retail alcohol sales on Sunday. If you’re thinking of adding mimosas to your brunch menu, you will need to drive to another location. Please check your local stores hours of operation before heading out.
Can you buy alcohol online in Maryland?
Through sites like Drizly, a limited number of Marylanders can have alcohol delivered to their door through partnerships with stand-alone liquor stores. Delivery is subject to county laws and varies accordingly.
Can you get alcohol to-go in Maryland?
The Governor signed an executive order in 2020 allowing Maryland wineries to deliver, and permitting restaurants to offer alcohol to-go for the duration of the declared state of emergency.
As of 2021, legislation allows counties to permanently allow this convenience, but each locality may differ in its restrictions. If convenience is important to Marylanders, it would be reasonable for this choice to extend to the purchase of beer and wine to grocery and convenience stores.
Maryland Alcohol Laws
The distribution of alcohol in Maryland resides with a law from 1978, described by the Washington Post as “poorly defined” and a “messy hodgepodge” that does not serve Maryland consumers. Originally intended to protect small mom and pop retailers, this 40-year old legislation needs to change with the times and to meet the needs of today’s consumer preferences, needed jobs and tax revenues.
While you’d have to go to D.C., West Virginia or New Jersey to buy liquor at convenience stores, most nearby states do permit the purchase of beer and wine at your local grocer. And it’s this change we are trying to enact, so Maryland is inline with modern shopping habits and what consumers want and expect. If we can get beer to go at our local craft brewer, why not in a grocery store.
Map of alcohol sales in grocery stores, by state. Click to Download.
Proposed Changes to the Law
Lily Qi, Maryland House Delegate, cites that Marylanders have changed their thinking quite a bit since the covid pandemic when it comes to convenience and availability of retail items. How and when we shop has changed. According to Qi, ““Retail is all about convenience and choices. And if you don’t provide those conveniences and choices, people are going to find their own way around it.”
House Bill 996, sponsored by Delegate Qi, and Senate Bill 763, which supported needed changes to the current alcohol laws, failed to pass in the 2021 legislative session. But the efforts to update these laws continue with future legislative proposals.
Proposed changes seek to expand licensing to permit chain stores and expand location for beer and wine sales to food retail stores, allowing greater convenience while expanding healthy food options for many Maryland communities. This would bring Maryland more inline with consumer and visitor expectations and modernize current laws.
Do Marylanders Support the New Legislation?
Is it finally "last call" for Maryland's ban on selling beer and wine in grocery stores? State lawmaker introduces a bill to allow sales, which would put Maryland in line with most other states. @Fox5DC https://t.co/mlV1p76lN0
— Tom Fitzgerald (@FitzFox5DC) March 1, 2021
Many Marylanders and visitors alike find the current laws regarding alcohol sales simply inconvenient and not inline with how they do their day-to-day shopping.
Support for expanded locations for the purchase of alcohol is growing. In 2012 support for this change was 63% and grew steadily to 73% in 2020, according to polls. It’s time to bring Marland laws up to date with the rest of the country and in sync with current consumer purchasing preferences.
Let your voice be heard. Click on the link below to contact your legislator to support a needed change to this antiquated law.
