Bergenfield, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)

Section 344-26J of the Sanitary Code regulates vape and e-cigarette retail alongside the Borough's tobacco licensing scheme in Chapter 282. No person may sell, market or distribute vapor products in Bergenfield without first obtaining a retail vapor product license from the Health Department, and that license is separate from and in addition to any retail food or other license the business already holds. The annual fee is $400, licenses expire every May 31, and renewal applications are due by June 1; missing the June 15 renewal deadline triggers a $100 penalty for each 30-day period the renewal is late.

Temporary or itinerant sellers cannot hold a vapor license at all, and the Health Department can deny an application over a history of health-code or state-law violations. Retail rules under the same section ban self-service vape displays, require face-to-face sales from behind a service counter, prohibit free samples, and ban any vapor product with a characterizing flavor such as fruit, mint, menthol or dessert flavoring. Clerks must verify photo ID showing the buyer is 21 or older and sign a statement confirming they have read the Borough's tobacco and vapor ordinances.

The Health Officer or a Bergenfield police officer may inspect any licensed premises during business hours and demand purchase invoices. Violations carry a civil penalty of at least $1,000 for a first offense and at least $2,000 for a second, and a second offense triggers mandatory license revocation.