Bars, Restaurants May Now Apply For Late-Night Alcohol Permit

ROCKVILLE, MD — Some bars and restaurants in Montgomery County will now be allowed to serve alcohol past 10 p.m., following a vote by the Montgomery County Council on Thursday.

At the virtual meeting, council members voted 8-1 to certain bars and restaurants to apply for a Late-Night Alcohol Sales Program permit, which would allow them to serve alcohol between 10 p.m. and midnight.

Council member Hans Riemer said he voted against the measure because he believes it will lead to more cases of the coronavirus and make it more difficult to reopen schools.

"I'm just concerned that by taking this step we're accelerating down the path of reopening for certain services that really may not be our highest priority," he said. "I am concerned about the message that this sends overall."

More than a dozen establishments have already applied for the permit, according to Dr. Earl Stoddard, the county's head of emergency management.

Previously, county bars and restaurants must stop serving alcohol to patrons on-site at 10 p.m. It's a ban that county officials say limits late-night socializing and, ultimately, helps stem the spread of COVID-19.

Here's what else to know about the program:

• The permit is available to a food service establishment with no prior history of citations or closings due to coronavirus-related violations
• The food service establishment must designate a staff member/hire a contractor to monitor and enforce face covering and social distancing requirements
• The food service establishment cannot sell alcohol after 12 a.m., and will ensure that all alcoholic beverages are collected from patrons by then
• A food service establishment that violates the rules would lose their Late-Night Alcohol Sales Program permit, have its alcohol license suspended, and/or could be fined up to $20,000
• The program will be automatically suspended under certain circumstances, including data related to the positivity rate and/or number of COVID-19 cases

Businesses that receive a Late-Night Alcohol Sales Program permit will be subject to frequent and unscheduled inspections, according to the proposal.