On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Alcohol Enforcement Unit conducted a series of tobacco compliance checks at retail establishments throughout the county to ensure adherence to laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to individuals under the age of 21.
The operation involved 34 businesses and utilized a 20-year-old confidential informant (CI), who attempted to purchase tobacco products under the observation of Corporal Kristi Nelson of the Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division. The CI, dressed in jeans and an athletic shirt, Cpl. Nelson, in plain clothes, monitored each transaction.
Out of the 34 businesses checked, 30 were found to be in compliance and refused to sell tobacco products to the underage CI after requesting identification. However, four businesses failed the compliance check by selling tobacco products without verifying age or requesting ID.
Clerks at the non-compliant businesses were each issued a DC-028 Uniform Civil Citation for the unlawful sale of tobacco products to a person under the age of 21.
The following businesses passed the compliance checks:
- 7-Eleven – 45955 East Run Drive, Lexington Park
- Abell’s Tavern – 20281 Piney Point Road, Callaway
- Baymart and Deli: 16591 Three Notch Road, Ridge
- Beacon Liquors – 20975 Point Lookout Road, Callaway
- Bob’s Sunoco – 20321 Piney Point Road, Callaway
- Canopy Liquors – 21636 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park
- Cook’s Liquors & Deli – 18400 Point Lookout Road, Park Hall
- Corner Liquors – 46920 S. Shangri La Dr., Lexington Park
- County Liquors – 21600 Great Mills Road, 5, Lexington Park
- Dollar General – 13270 Point Lookout Road, Ridge
- Dollar General – 21179 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park
- Dollar General Store #16754, 21411 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park
- Dollar General Store #21651, 20877 Point Lookout Road, Callaway
- Family Dollar Stores #2142, 21703 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park
- Great Mills Quik Stop, Great Mills Road, Lexington Park
- Hermanville C-Store – 21151 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park
- International Beverages: 21367 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park
- Lexington Park Service Inc, 21697 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park
- Mary Matha Food Mart Inc., 20943 Point Lookout Road, Callaway
- Ridge Market and Liquor – 13270 Point Lookout Road, Ridge
- Rod’n Reel – 18161 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park
- Royal Farms- 21779 Tulagi Place, Lexington Park
- St Mary’s Fine Wine and Spirits: 20141 Point Lookout Road, Great Mills
- St. James Deli & Spirits – 19343 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park
- Sunoco Quick Shop – 21141 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park
- The Toasted Foot Lounge, 20845 Callaway Village Way, Callaway
- Tobacco Hub – 21310 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park
- Weis Market #283, 21600 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park
- WJ Dent & Sons/Chief’s Bar – 44584 Tall Timbers Road, Tall Timbers
- 2000 Liquors – 21800 N. Shangri-La, #19, Lexington Park
The following four businesses did not pass the compliance check and failed to ask for any identification, allowing tobacco product sales to an underage person:
- Sheetz – 20760 Old Great Mills Road, Great Mills
- Smoke Shack – 46925 B, S Shangri-La Drive, Lexington Park
- Stop’N Shop: 21036 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park
- Vape & Tobacco (St. Mary’s Square) – 21600 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park
The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to enforcing underage tobacco laws and thanks the participating businesses that followed the law for their cooperation.
