Caldwell, ID Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)

Caldwell City Code § 10-12-03-35 treats tobacco and vape shops as a specific use subject to its own zoning standards inside Chapter 10, Article 12. A tobacco or vape shop cannot locate within 300 feet of a church, daycare, or education service, with the distance measured in a straight line from property line to property line. The only way around the buffer is a Special Use Permit issued by the City Council, and an applicant must obtain that waiver before submitting a building permit application; a shop that was already duly licensed before the buffer took effect does not have to move.

The section also bans outside activity or events at a tobacco or vape shop entirely, except for temporary uses separately permitted under the same article. or opening earlier needs a special use permit modification. The Caldwell City Council adopted the current text through Ordinance 3670 on April 21, 2025. Enforcement of every Chapter 10 standard, including this one, runs through City Code § 10-03-10, administered by the Planning Director or a code compliance officer, who can inspect property, issue a notice of violation, and pursue an administrative citation once a reasonable correction period has passed.

The buffer and hours rule sit inside the zoning code rather than the business-license schedule, so a shop's Caldwell business license is separate from this location-and-hours standard.