If you operate two or more retail stores under the same general management or ownership in Maryland, you must have a chain store license. However, the term "store" does not include an automobile service station where the principal business is the sale or distribution of motor fuel.
When you apply for the chain store license, you must pay a fee to the appropriate Clerk of the Circuit Court in addition to the fee paid for a trader's license.
The legal requirement for the Chain Store License can be found in the Business Regulation Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, Sections 17-1805 and 17-1809. | 
