Maryland Liquor License

It’s a dream that we all share. One day you’ll open a tiny bar and offer the locals quality service and fine spirits. You know, if you weren’t so lazy and could pony up the cash.

So what’s really required to gain a liquor license? Piazza Italian Market in Maryland chronicled the hoops that they had to jump, and this is just a partial list:

• Two complete sets of fingerprint cards. One set for the state of Maryland, and the other set for the FBI.
• Signatures from at least ten people approving our intention to sell alcoholic beverages. Each person must own property in and vote in the same District and Precinct as the location of the store.
• Certificate from Town Office of Planning and Zoning confirming that you are not within 1000 feet of a church, a school or a park.
• Business License, Trader’s License, Health Department Permit, & Fire Marshall Permit.
• $156.00 fee for advertising your application in the newspaper, as well as a $2,000.00 annual fee.

You can read the full list of Maryland’s liquor license requirements from Piazza Italian Market’s blog. It’s quite an eye-opener. I guess I should burn my pretend blueprints now and just settle for drinking at home.