Bakersfield, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Tobacco retailer's permit, county-issued
- Governing chapter
- BMC Ch. 8.59, adopted 2023 (Ord. 5128)
- Source code adopted
- Kern Code Title 8, Ch. 8.60
- Issuing/enforcing agency
- County of Kern (by mutual consent)
- Legal basis for adoption
- Government Code § 50022.1 et seq.
- Default penalty
- Infraction $50–$250 or misdemeanor to $1,000/6 mo. (§ 1.40.010)
Summary
Selling tobacco products in Bakersfield requires a valid tobacco retailer's permit. Municipal Code Chapter 8.59 adopts Kern County's tobacco retailer's permit code by reference, and under a mutual agreement the county, not the city, issues, collects fees for, renews and revokes these permits inside Bakersfield city limits.
8.59.030 Incorporation by reference. Pursuant to Government Code Section 50022.1 et seq., and except as otherwise stated in this title, the rules, regulations, provisions and conditions set forth in the publication entitled “Kern Code, Title 8—Health and Safety, Chapter 8.60—Tobacco Retailer’s Permit” as adopted and amended through Ordinance No. G-8763, passed April 17, 2018, is hereby adopted as the tobacco retailer’s permit code for the city of Bakersfield. A copy of this code is on file in the office of the city clerk.
8.59.040 County responsibilities for licensing and enforcement. By mutual consent of city and county, the county shall be responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter. Tobacco retailers shall apply to the county for a tobacco retailer’s permit and the county is responsible for the issuance, collection of fees, renewal and revocation of tobacco retailer’s permits within the city limits.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 5221, passed July 15, 2026).
Full Breakdown
020). 60, Tobacco Retailer's Permit,' as amended through county Ordinance No. ' A copy is kept on file with the city clerk. 040 spells out who actually runs the program: 'By mutual consent of city and county, the county shall be responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter. 02, and county staff, not city staff, handle applications, fee collection and any revocation proceedings for retailers operating inside the city.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 8.59 does not set its own fine schedule, so selling tobacco without the required permit falls under the code's general penalty, Section 1.40.010: an infraction punishable by a $50 fine for a first offense, $100 for a second within a year, and $250 for each additional violation within a year, or prosecution as a misdemeanor carrying up to $1,000 and/or six months in county jail. Each day of unpermitted sales is a separate offense, and the county can independently revoke the underlying permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bakersfield issue its own tobacco retailer permits?
What code actually sets the permit rules?
Is this the same as a city business license?
What happens if a retailer sells tobacco without the permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bakersfield
California rules heatmap·Compare Bakersfield to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview
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Tobacco Retail License in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Kern County handle tobacco retail license.