Cathedral City, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)

Chapter 5.90 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code, Ordinance 780 (2016), defines "tobacco product" to include an electronic device that delivers nicotine or other vaporized liquids, so a vape shop in Cathedral City is licensed under the same chapter as a cigarette or cigar seller. A "tobacco retailer" is any person who sells, offers for sale, or offers to exchange tobacco, tobacco products, or tobacco paraphernalia for any form of consideration, without regard to the quantity.

Section 5.90.025 hands the whole licensing job to Riverside County. Proprietors apply to the county for the tobacco retailer's license, and the county is responsible for issuance, renewal and revocation. The permit certificate is issued by the director of the Riverside County department of environmental health, and the chapter says issuing it does not imply that the facility complies with every state and local regulation.

Under § 5.90.030 the application is filed in the name of each proprietor on a department form and covers the single fixed location where tobacco retailing will occur. It must include proof that the location holds a valid state tobacco retailer's license from the California Board of Equalization, and it must disclose whether any proprietor has been found to violate the chapter before. Section 5.90.030(C) makes it unlawful to act as a tobacco retailer without a valid permit for each location. Permit issuance is not discretionary: the department issues the permit unless substantial record evidence shows a denial ground such as an incomplete application, a location or proprietor under a prohibition on new permits, or retailing that is unlawful under any other city, state or federal law.

The term is one year, and each retailer must apply for annual renewal no later than the expiration of the term (§ 5.90.060). The permit is invalid unless the fee is paid in full, and late payment penalties follow city council resolution. Permits are nontransferable (§ 5.90.050): a retailer who changes location needs a new permit, and a buyer of the business needs one before selling. Both the state license and the county permit must be prominently displayed at the location (§ 5.90.070(A)(4)).