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<section article="gab" article_name="Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis" number="26-1504" title_number="26" title_name="Prince George's County" subtitle_number="15" subtitle_name="Issuance or Denial of Licenses">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, a license holder may not devote more than 10,000 square feet of floor space to off–sale use.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, floor space is the space devoted to the sale of alcoholic beverages for off–premises consumption, including:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a basement on the licensed premises; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>any other area off the licensed premises where the alcoholic beverages are lawfully stored.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>For a license with only an off–sale privilege, floor space is the space within the four walls of the building from which the licensed establishment operates.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>For a license with on–sale and off–sale privileges, floor space is the space actually used for the sale, display, or storage of alcoholic beverages.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The floor space used for the sale, display, or storage of alcoholic beverages may not be expanded beyond 10,000 square feet.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Board is not required to approve a request by a license holder to expand the floor space devoted to off–sale use up to 10,000 square feet unless the Board finds evidence, based on the evidence presented to the Board, that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the expansion is necessary to accommodate the public; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the license holder otherwise continues to meet the criteria for the issuance or transfer of a license and any other condition that the Board imposes.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A food store for which a license was issued on or before January 1, 1995:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>is exempt from the 10,000 square foot floor space restriction under subsection (a) of this section;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>may have the license renewed or ownership or location of the license transferred even if the food store had more than 10,000 square feet devoted to off–sale use; but</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>may not expand the square footage of its alcoholic beverages department, including sales, display, and storage areas, beyond 10,000 square feet.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The 10,000 square foot limit specified under paragraph (1)(iii) of this subsection is to be determined without regard to the total area available within the four walls of the establishment.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
