2017 Press Releases

Press Release: Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City names Staci Russell as Assistant Executive Secretary.

Copy of Press Release 


Announcement: On  July 31, 2017, Chairman Albert J. Matricciani Jr. of the Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City (BLLC) announced the Board’s meeting dates for the final quarter of 2017. They are listed below:

  • September – 7th, 21st, and 28th
  • October – 5th and 19th
  • November – 2nd, 9th, and 16th
  • December – 7th, 14th, and 21st

Please note, that the BLLC will hold its quarterly evening hearing on December 7, 2017 from 5pm to 7pm.


Press Release: Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City welcomes new staff members to the agency.

Copy of Press Release


Press Release: Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City names Douglas K. Paige as Executive Secretary.

Copy of Press Release


Announcement: On  May 5, 2017, Chairman Albert J. Matricciani Jr. of the Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City (BLLC) announced the Board’s meeting dates for the second quarter of 2017. They are listed below:

  • May – 11th and 18th
  • June – 1st, 15th, and 29th
  • July –  13th, 20th, and 27th
  • August –  3rd, 10th, and 24th

Please note, that the BLLC will hold its quarterly evening hearing on June 15, 2017 from 5pm to 7pm.


Press Release: Board of Liquor License Commissioners (BLLC) receives authorization from the Board of Estimates to accept a $24,000 grant from Behavioral Health System to expand its underage enforcement operations.

Copy of the Press Release


Announcement: Please see the attached letter of support issued by the Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City for SB1122, which is pending before the 2017 Maryland General Assembly.

Copy of the letter


Announcement: Please see the attached letter of support issued by the Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City for SB1086, which is pending before the 2017 Maryland General Assembly.

Copy of the letter


Announcement:  The Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City (BLLC) will not be processing new, transfer, or expansion applications during the month of April of 2017. The BLLC will still accept and process Hardship Extension Requests and Requests to Reopen during April of 2017. Starting May 1, 2017 – the beginning of the new license year – the agency shall only accept BLLC 2017-2018 applications submitted to the agency. The agency shall no longer accept and process BLLC 2016-2017 applications starting on May 1, 2017.

Below please see links to the following BLLC 2017-2018 applications:

  • New and Transfer Application 
  • Financial Form Application 
  • One Day Application 
  • One Day Non-Profit Beer Festival 
  • Substitute Application 
  • Wine Corkage and Growler Fee Application 
  • Alcoholic Beverages Delivery Form 
  • Delivery Registration Form 
  • Pub Tour Promoter’s Permit 

Please note that all of these documents are fillable PDF documents. Starting on May 1, 2017 these applications will replace the BLLC 2016-2017 applications on its website and within its office. Lastly, the BLLC will not begin to accept and process BLLC 2017-2018 applications until May 1, 2017. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this announcement, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 410-396-4377


Announcement: Please see the attached letters of support issued by the Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City for the following pieces of legislation pending before the 2017 Maryland General Assembly:

Please feel free to view each item when you have an opportunity. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of the enclosed correspondence please feel free to contact Deputy Executive Secretary, Thomas R. Akras, by email or at 410-396-4385.


Announcement: On March 1, 2017 the alcoholic beverages license renewal process for the Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City (BLLC) begins. As per State law, the license renewal season ends on March 31, 2017. Renewal letters, 2017 Renewal Applications, and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sheet have been sent out to all alcoholic beverage licensees. The renewal application, along with the FAQ sheet, and other applicable renewal documents, can be located and downloaded from the BLLC’s Renewal Webpage.


Announcement: On February 16, 2017 the Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City (BLLC) issued and implemented the 2017 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Manual. The Board takes seriously its obligation to ensure that the agency’s policies and procedures are replicating best practices and are compliant with the law. This year the BLLC worked in concert with agency staff and the Office of Legislative Audits (OLA) to develop and improve upon the inaugural SOPs that were issued by the Board on July 1, 2016. The Board expanded upon the SOPs from 2016 to include policies and procedures in 2017 that address the following areas:

  • Pub Crawl SOPs
  • Quality Control Inspections for Routine and Compliance Inspections
  • Increased financial controls and reporting
  • SOPs for Wine Tastings, Samplings, and Festivals
  • Postponement SOP
  • Community Engagement SOP

Copy of the 2017 SOPs


Announcement: The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for the City of Baltimore is conducting a city-wide hookah enforcement initiative. It is the intent of DHCD to eliminate illegal hookah smoking within any public business in the City.  If DHCD discovers illegal hookah use in a licensed liquor establishment within the City, it will revoke that location’s Use and Occupancy Permit, nullifying its use as a licensed liquor establishment. A letter was issued to licensees by Chairman Albert J. Matricciani, Jr. 

Copy of Chairman's Letter


Announcement: On January 17, 2017 the Board of Liquor License Commissioners issued its first-ever End of Year Report for 2016. The Board highlighted some of the administrative, financial, and operational changes that it made during 2016 and the results achieved from such changes. The BLLC has also created an “BLLC Annual Reports” tab on the main menu of its website so that members of the public will have access to these reports.

2017 End of Year Report 


Press Release: On January 5, 2017, Chairman Albert J. Matricciani Jr. of the Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City (BLLC) announced the Board’s intention to hold at least three public hearings per month during the first quarter of 2017.  Read all about it here. The dates for BLLC hearings for the first quarter of 2017 are below:

•    January: 5th, 19th, 26th   
•    February: 2nd, 9th, 23rd 
•    March: 2nd, 9th, 16th, 30th  
•    April: 13th, 20th, 27th