Farmington Hills, MI Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)

The city adopted its smoking lounge licensing article in 2021 and amended it in 2022 after finding, per § 8-41, more than one hundred police incidents at five hookah lounges since 2014, including homicides, shootings and narcotics offenses, with 53 percent of those incidents occurring after midnight. Section 8-42 defines a 'smoking lounge' broadly enough to reach vape businesses: it covers any establishment allowing use of tobacco products, non-tobacco products, or other similar legal substances, and 'non-tobacco products' is defined to include e-cigarettes, electronic cigars, electronic cigarillos and similar vapor devices, alongside cigar bars, tobacco bars and clubs.

Section 8-47 requires a license applicant to submit ownership and management identification, a security plan, proof of insurance naming the city as an additional insured, an executed lease or deed, and a valid State of Michigan Exemption Certificate under Part 126 of the Public Health Code. The city clerk routes the application to the police, fire, building and planning departments for review under § 8-48, and § 8-49 lets the clerk deny it for a prior revoked license, a revoked state exemption certificate, disqualifying criminal history of an owner or manager, or an existing code violation at the premises. Licenses expire every December 31 under § 8-51 and must be renewed at least 30 days before expiration. Operating hours are capped at 11:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. under § 8-60, and no one under 18 may be on the premises under § 8-62.