The Rowan County ABC Board was created following a successful countywide election held on July 30, 1949, under the provisions of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act of North Carolina.  The 1949 election results of 7,856 voters approving the measure as opposed to 6,709 voting against, reversed a failed attempt in 1947 to approve the system.

The election of 1949 saw the city of Salisbury voting overwhelmingly for the measure by a 3,959 to 1,815 margin; county voters opposed the new system by 4,894 to 3,897.  Currently, as with the origin of the system, each municipality shares in the distribution of ABC revenue.

In 2005, the Rowan ABC system expanded through statutory authority and merged with the city of Kannapolis to form the Rowan/Kannapolis ABC Board.  There were 1,678 voters who voted to approve the measure and 1,300 who voted in opposition.  On February 15, 2005, Kannapolis citizens voted in favor of the establishment of ABC stores in the Cabarrus County portion of the city.  At that time, with a Legislative measure, it was determined that the Rowan/Kannapolis ABC Board would be equally represented with one vote for Rowan County, one vote for Salisbury City and one vote for Kannapolis City.

The Rowan/Kannapolis ABC Board, like all of the Boards within the N.C. system, is an independent local quasi-governmental political sub-division of the state as defined by N.C. General Statutes.

The local Board currently operates six (6) retail liquor stores and through the Law Enforcement contract with A.L.E., investigates any violations of such laws.  N.C. General Statute 19-b-805(C) (2) (3) requires that all Boards expend at least 5% of profits for law enforcement.  In addition, the General Statutes also require that at least 7% of the profits from sales, be used toward education.