Howard County board approves state bill allowing florists to include alcohol in gift baskets

The Howard County Board of License Commissioners on June 8 approved a state bill (HB 456) that creates a limited "gift basket" permit allowing florists and similar primary gift-basket vendors to sell and deliver baskets containing beer, wine or liquor.

Chair Youngman, who introduced the measure to the board, said the permit would be narrowly tailored to ensure age verification and compliance. "This permit will allow the gift baskets to contain beer, wine, or liquor," the chair said while summarizing the state bill and the proposed local rules the board would adopt.

Under the state bill and the board's proposed local rules, a permit holder: must have flower/gift-basket delivery as its primary business; may not hold any other type of alcohol beverage license; may not receive a permit for use in conjunction with or on the premises of a chain store, supermarket or discount house; must limit alcohol sales so they do not exceed 10% of the holder's annual gross sales; must purchase the alcohol from a retail license holder; and must maintain records and submit reports to the board's office. The board's proposed rules would require delivery personnel to keep a log and require a written certification signed by the person who accepts the basket confirming they are at least 21 and presented ID.

Board members asked practical questions about deliveries. A board member asked, "What happens when no one's home?" Chair Youngman and others answered that deliveries could not be left unattended and that an adult would need to be present to show ID and sign the log. "They won't be able to leave it," the chair said, noting that failure to keep required logs could lead to enforcement action or permit revocation following an inspection.

The board also discussed who proposed the change at the state level. Chair Youngman said the measure was developed in response to a proposal from an existing florist (he said he believed the business is located in Maple Lawn) and that any qualifying business could apply for the permit so long as its primary business is floral or gift-basket delivery.

Chair Youngman moved to approve HB 456 and to incorporate the proposed local rule language requiring the log and recipient certification; a second was entered on the record. The clerk called the vote and the motion passed unanimously. The chair said the bill will take effect on July 1, 2026, and that the administrator will work with the Office of Law to post the rules and the permit application on the Howard County website.

The board concluded the meeting after recording the vote. The permit establishes a new, narrowly constrained pathway for local florists and gift-basket vendors to sell alcoholic beverages as part of delivered gift baskets, subject to age-verification and reporting requirements intended to limit underage access and commercial expansion of alcohol sales.