Cleveland, OH Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- License issued by
- Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses
- License term
- Expires December 31 annually
- First violation fine
- $500
- Second violation
- $750 + 7-day suspension
- Third violation
- $1,000 + 30-day suspension
- Fourth+ violation
- $1,000 + revocation
- Minimum sale age
- 21, with photo-ID check
Summary
Cleveland requires every tobacco retailer, including vape and e-cigarette sellers, to hold an annual tobacco retail sales license per store location, with civil fines starting at $500 and license suspension or revocation for repeat violations under Ch. 235A.
§ 235A.02 Tobacco Retail Sales License Required. (a) Each Tobacco Retailer engaging in the sale of Tobacco Products shall secure a tobacco retail sales license from the Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses for each location where it sells Tobacco Products in the City before engaging or continuing to engage in such business. ... (c) No Tobacco Retailer shall sell or distribute Tobacco Products without a valid tobacco retail sales license. (d) A tobacco retail sales license may be renewed annually... shall not be transferred from one Tobacco Retailer to another or from one location to another.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-28: Current through legislation passed September 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 235A of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances, enacted by Ordinance No. 02(a)). 02 and expressly includes vapor products, so vape and e-cigarette retailers must hold the license too. The application goes to the Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses and must include the applicant's name, business and personal address, a copy of the applicant's Ohio vendor's license if applicable, and any additional information the Commissioner of Environmental Health or Director deems necessary, such as a certificate of occupancy; the Director reviews and recommends approval or denial before the Commissioner issues the license.
03. 02(d)). 03, is capped at the administrative cost of licensing, community outreach, education, retail inspections, compliance checks and enforcement, and is non-refundable. 06 requires retailers stay open to inspection during business hours and subjects them to at least two compliance checks a year using testers aged 18-20, with mandatory follow-up checks within three months of any violation.
Violations & Fines
Under § 235A.07(a), fines run on a rolling 36-month lookback: $500 for a first violation, $750 plus a 7-day license suspension for a second, $1,000 plus a 30-day suspension for a third, and $1,000 plus outright license revocation for a fourth and each violation after that. All tobacco products must be removed from the premises upon suspension or revocation, or the retailer faces a separate $500-per-day fine for noncompliance (§ 235A.07(d)). Written violation notices go out within 30 days and may be appealed to the Director within 20 days, with further appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals within 30 days of the Director's decision (§ 235A.07(b)). Selling without a valid license, failing to pay fines, or providing false application information can also trigger denial, suspension, or revocation by the Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses (§ 235A.07(c)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Cleveland vape shop need the tobacco retail license?
How much does a Cleveland tobacco retail license cost?
What happens on a second tobacco license violation in Cleveland?
Can a Cleveland tobacco retail license transfer to a new owner or location?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cleveland
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