Beloit, WI Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- License required for
- Cigarettes, vaping devices, tobacco products
- State statute adopted
- Wis. Stat. § 134.65
- Issuing authority
- City Clerk
- Background check
- Required for new applicants, § 14.014(1)(d)
- License term
- Expires June 30 unless otherwise set
- Fee
- Set annually by City Council resolution
Summary
Selling cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or other tobacco products in the City of Beloit requires a City license on top of Wisconsin's own retailer rules. The City Clerk issues the license, the Police Department runs a criminal background check on new applicants, and the annual fee is set by City Council resolution.
(1)STATE STATUTES ADOPTED. The provisions of §134.65, Wis. Stats., are hereby adopted and made a part of this chapter by reference.(2)LICENSE REQUIRED. No person shall sell cigarettes, electronic vaping devices, or tobacco products in the City of Beloit without first obtaining a license from the City.(3)FEE. The annual fee to be paid for any license or renewal license issued hereunder shall be established by City Council resolution.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Update 01 - 05-2026).
Full Breakdown
05 adopts Wis. 05(2): no person may sell cigarettes, electronic vaping devices, or tobacco products in Beloit without first obtaining a City license, distinct from any state permit. 02(1)(a)(3). 014(1)(d) requires the Beloit Police Department to run a criminal background check with the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Crime Information Bureau on every new applicant for a cigarette, vaping device, or tobacco retailer's license, in addition to the fee for that check. 02, the application goes to the City Clerk on a City form, must be accompanied by proof the license fee was paid before it is accepted, and the license expires June 30 each year unless the ordinance for that license type says otherwise.
02(9) also blocks issuance of the license to an applicant who owes the City delinquent property tax, room tax, special assessments, municipal court forfeitures, or utility bills.
Violations & Fines
Selling cigarettes, vaping devices, or tobacco products without the required City license is a violation of the general licensing requirement in § 14.01(1) and § 14.05(2), and, absent a more specific penalty listed in the fee schedule, defaults to the general forfeiture in § 25.04(1)(a): not less than $100 nor more than $500 for a first offense, rising to $200-$500 for a second offense within a year and $300-$500 for a third, plus costs of prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Wisconsin state tobacco retailer permit enough to sell in Beloit?
Does the City run a background check on tobacco retailer applicants?
How much does the Beloit tobacco retail license cost?
Can the City deny a tobacco license over unpaid bills?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Beloit
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Tobacco Retail License in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Rock County handle tobacco retail license.