Pasco County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)

Pasco County Code § 22-1, the 'Merchandising of Tobacco Products Ordinance' adopted by Ordinance No. 01-08 in March 2001, bans self-service tobacco displays at every business, tobacco retailer, or other establishment operating in unincorporated Pasco County. The code states that no person, business, tobacco retailer, or other establishment subject to this section shall sell, permit to be sold, offer for sale, or display for sale any tobacco products by means of self service merchandising, and that only vendor assisted sales are allowed, unless the location already bars anyone under 18 from entering, or self-service is otherwise prohibited by law.

Practically, that means a gas station or convenience store open to teenagers must keep cigarettes, loose tobacco, and other tobacco-leaf products in a case or behind the counter where a clerk hands them over; only an adults-only shop can display them on open shelves. The same section separately requires that all retail stores place any and all tobacco advertising at least four feet above the floor, keeping posters and point-of-sale signage above a small child's reach. The definition of 'tobacco products' in § 22-1 is limited to loose tobacco leaves and products made from tobacco leaves, plus cigarette wrappers; it does not separately mention vapor or e-cigarette devices.

69 in county court, or through the Pasco County Code Enforcement Board, with fines drawn from the county's Uniform Fine Schedule. Under § 1-5, county code sections generally apply in both incorporated and unincorporated Pasco unless a municipality has adopted a conflicting ordinance, so incorporated cities such as Zephyrhills or Dade City could opt out with their own rule.