Does Maryland Require an Alcohol Awareness Program Certificate?

No blanket mandate — Maryland does not require an alcohol awareness program certificate of every alcohol server, but the state-recognized certification is valid 4 years. Who needs one, what it costs, and approved providers — verified from The Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission (ATCC).

Legal basis

MD Code, Alcoholic Beverages Article §4-505 (approved alcohol awareness program; a holder of a retail alcoholic beverages license or a designated employee must be certified; per §4-505(b)(2) the section does not apply to a temporary license or to Class E (water vessel), Class F (railroad), or Class G (airplane) on-sale licenses; certificate of completion valid 4 years from issuance with retraining each successive 4-year period; ATCC Executive Director approves/certifies programs and issues program permits; local licensing boards enforce; $100 first-offense / up to $500 or suspension/revocation subsequent penalties)
COMAR 14.23.01.15 — Alcohol Awareness Program and Training (programs maintained in conformance with Alcoholic Beverages Article §4-505; alcohol awareness program permit and instructor's permit; certificate content and 4-year validation period; 3-hour minimum instruction)
MD Code, Alcoholic Beverages Article §2-158 (alcohol awareness program permit; subsection (b): the permit 'authorizes the holder to conduct an alcohol awareness program as certified by the Executive Director under §4-505 of this article' — establishing §4-505, not the parallel §3-504, as the operative certification section; permit fee $15)

Maryland does not require an individual statewide alcohol awareness program certificate by law. The state-recognized certification below is the practical standard — every figure is verified against the official source and dated.

State requires the licensee or one designated employee per establishment to be certified, not every individual server; temporary licenses and Class E (water vessel), Class F (railroad), and Class G (airplane) on-sale licenses are exempt from the requirement entirely (§4-505(b)(2)).

What it’s called

Maryland issues an Alcohol Awareness Program Certificate under MD Code, Alcoholic Beverages § 4-505. It is a training certificate, not a license. Maryland’s alcohol licensing is run county by county, but the awareness-training certificate is the individual’s credential. “Bartender license,” “servers license” and “alcohol awareness card” are common informal names for it. In Maryland a liquor license is the establishment’s credential from the county or city liquor board; the individual who serves holds the alcohol-awareness certificate.

Quick facts

Requirement level: Voluntary — State requires the licensee or one designated employee per establishment to be certified, not every individual server; temporary licenses and Class E (water vessel), Class F (railroad), and Class G (airplane) on-sale licenses are exempt from the requirement entirely (§4-505(b)(2)).
Valid for: 4 years
Cost: No statewide statutory fee or cap; the certificate price is set by the approved provider. Officially documented options: the Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners’ in-person state-certified session is $75 per person; Montgomery County ABS offers free ALERT training, which complements but does not replace the state-certified course. Private state-approved online providers set their own fees.
Who needs it & when: Under Alcoholic Beverages Article §4-505(e), a holder of a retail alcoholic beverages license, or an employee designated by the holder, must complete training in an approved alcohol awareness program; each retail establishment must maintain at least one currently certified licensee or designated employee. Not every license class is covered: §4-505(b)(2) provides that the section does not apply to a temporary license, a Class E (on-sale) water vessel license, a Class F (on-sale) railroad license, or a Class G (on-sale) airplane license — so temporary-license events and vessel, railroad, and airplane licensees have no §4-505 certification duty. Maryland does not require every individual server or bartender statewide to personally hold the card, though employers commonly require it. Certificates are valid four years and must be renewed each successive four-year period, and must be presented to the proper authority on request. Local Boards of License Commissioners enforce the requirement, with a $100 fine for a first offense and a fine up to $500 or suspension or revocation of the license for later offenses.
Who issues it: The Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission (ATCC) — through its Executive Director — approves and certifies alcohol awareness programs and issues each program an alcohol awareness program permit (and issues instructors an alcohol awareness instructor’s permit). The certificate of completion itself is issued to the individual by the ATCC-approved alcohol awareness program provider, not by the state. Enforcement is carried out by each county’s local Board of License Commissioners (the local liquor board).

Who does NOT need this — exemptions

Under §4-505(b)(2), the entire section — including the subsection (e) certification requirement and the subsection (h) penalties — “does not apply to: (i) a temporary license; (ii) a Class E (on–sale) water vessel license; (iii) a Class F (on–sale) railroad license; or (iv) a Class G (on–sale) airplane license.” A nonprofit or event organizer operating under a Maryland temporary license therefore has no state alcohol awareness certification obligation, and neither do water vessel, railroad, or airplane on-sale licensees. Separately, the statewide rule reaches only the licensee or one designated employee per establishment — an ordinary individual server or bartender who is not the designee is not required by state law to hold the certificate (county boards may layer on presence or coverage rules; see county_exceptions). Note the reverse edge: §4-505(b)(1)(iii) extends the section to certain establishments not licensed to sell alcoholic beverages in jurisdictions that require certification, so unlicensed venues are not automatically outside it. No other statewide exemptions found; tiers searched: §4-505 full text (mgaleg.maryland.gov), COMAR 14.23.01.15, and the ATCC alcohol awareness program permit pages.

Approved training providers

Under Alcoholic Beverages Article §4-505(c)-(d), the ATCC Executive Director approves, certifies, and issues an alcohol awareness program permit to each qualifying program, and every instructor must hold an alcohol awareness instructor’s permit; COMAR 14.23.01.15 sets the program and certificate standards (including the 4-year validation period). The completion certificate is issued by the ATCC-approved provider. Get it from any provider on the ATCC’s approved list — which includes 360training, StateFoodSafety, TAP Series, Professional Server Certificate Corp, ID Training LLC, Moroney Services, C.A.R.R.O.L.L. C.A.R.E.S., and the Frederick County Board of License Commissioners — or from a county-run session such as Prince George’s County’s BOLC classes.

County exceptions

Alcohol licensing is administered county-by-county through local Boards of License Commissioners, and requirements go further in some jurisdictions. Establishments in Montgomery, Harford, and Howard Counties must have a certified license-holder or a certified person employed in a supervisory capacity present during the hours alcohol may be sold; Montgomery County ABS also offers free ALERT training that supplements, but does not replace, the state-certified course. In Prince George’s County, Board of License Commissioners Rule and Regulation No. 83 requires the licensee, or a person employed at a licensed premises, to be alcohol awareness certified, and the Board runs its own state-certified sessions at $75 per person. Some county Boards of License Commissioners have held ATCC alcohol awareness program permits of their own, but their statuses differ in the ATCC’s permit database (as displayed July 2026): Frederick County’s Board is listed with an issued program permit, Carroll County’s shows ‘Pending Renewal’ (its prior term closed October 31, 2024), and Washington County’s permit closed October 31, 2023 and is listed as ‘Closed’ — Washington County licensees should use another ATCC-approved provider.

Frequently asked questions

Does Maryland require an alcohol awareness program certificate?

Not as a blanket rule — Maryland does not require an individual alcohol awareness program certificate of every alcohol server, but the state-recognized certification below is the practical standard. Under Alcoholic Beverages Article §4-505(e), a holder of a retail alcoholic beverages license, or an employee designated by the holder, must complete training in an approved alcohol awareness program; each retail establishment must maintain at least one currently certified licensee or designated employee. Not every license class is covered: §4-505(b)(2) provides that the section does not apply to a temporary license, a Class E (on-sale) water vessel license, a Class F (on-sale) railroad license, or a Class G (on-sale) airplane license — so temporary-license events and vessel, railroad, and airplane licensees have no §4-505 certification duty.

How long is an alcohol awareness program certificate valid in Maryland?

In Maryland, an alcohol awareness program certificate is valid for 4 years.

How much does an alcohol awareness program certificate cost in Maryland?

No statewide statutory fee or cap; the certificate price is set by the approved provider. Officially documented options: the Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners’ in-person state-certified session is $75 per person; Montgomery County ABS offers free ALERT training, which complements but does not replace the state-certified course. Private state-approved online providers set their own fees.

Where do you get an alcohol awareness program certificate in Maryland?

Are there local exceptions in Maryland?

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Maryland.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: July 22, 2026.

LicensingAtlas states licensing and certification requirements categorically from official sources. It is a reference, not legal or career advice, and requirements change frequently — confirm details with the issuing board before you act.