Delaware Considers Limiting New Liquor Stores in Wilmington

Proposed legislation would give the state's largest city more control over liquor store locations.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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Delaware lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow the city of Wilmington to enact stricter requirements for new liquor stores. The legislation, sponsored by state Rep. Stephanie Bolden, would give municipalities with populations over 50,000 the ability to impose tighter rules on the location of liquor stores than under state law. Existing stores would be grandfathered in, but new establishments would have to comply with the city's regulations in order to receive a license.

Why it matters

Some studies have suggested that an oversaturation of liquor stores in certain neighborhoods can be linked to higher levels of poverty, violence, and lower life expectancy. The proposed legislation aims to address these concerns in Wilmington, where liquor stores are currently concentrated in predominantly minority and low-income areas, often near schools and churches.

The details

The Wilmington City Council passed a resolution in November urging the state legislature to give the city more control over the proliferation of liquor stores. Councilman Coby Owens noted that there is a racial and geographic element to the current distribution of liquor stores, with multiple locations on just one stretch of Market Street. The new bill would require the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner to deny licenses for any new liquor stores that fail to comply with the city's stricter regulations.

  • The Wilmington City Council passed a resolution in November 2025 calling for the state to grant the city more control over liquor store locations.
  • The proposed legislation, sponsored by state Rep. Stephanie Bolden, was introduced in the Delaware General Assembly in January 2026.

The players

Coby Owens

A Wilmington City Council member who has raised concerns about the oversaturation of liquor stores in predominantly minority and low-income neighborhoods.

Stephanie Bolden

A Democratic state representative from Wilmington who has sponsored the legislation to give the city more control over liquor store locations.

Wilmington City Council

The city council passed a resolution in November 2025 urging the state legislature to grant Wilmington more authority over liquor store proliferation.

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What they’re saying

“I think it's very clear here in the city of Wilmington that we have an oversaturation of liquor stores all throughout the city, especially in predominantly minority neighborhoods and low-income neighborhoods.”

— Coby Owens, Wilmington City Council member (whyy.org)

“Our liquor stores in the city of Wilmington are all located within our school districts. They're located at residential properties and also next to our churches. That was one of the reasons, although they're grandfathered in, to make sure that it doesn't occur with any new establishments.”

— Stephanie Bolden, State Representative (whyy.org)

What’s next

The proposed legislation will next be considered by the Delaware General Assembly, where it will need to pass both the House and Senate before being signed into law by the governor.

The takeaway

This legislation represents an effort by Wilmington officials to address the disproportionate concentration of liquor stores in minority and low-income neighborhoods, which has been linked to negative community impacts. If passed, it would give the state's largest city more control over the location of new liquor stores, though existing establishments would be allowed to remain.