Fountain, CO Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)

36 of the Fountain Municipal Code, adopted by Ordinance No. 1747 in 2020 and updated by Ordinance No. 1789 in 2023, defines "tobacco product" to expressly include "an electronic smoking device," so vape shops and stores selling e-cigarettes, vape juice or nicotine pods fall under the same license as cigarette and cigar retailers. 050 makes it unlawful to act as a tobacco product retailer in the city without first obtaining a license from the city clerk, who serves as the licensing authority, for each fixed retail location; the code bars mobile vending entirely, so tobacco products cannot be sold from a cart, booth or vehicle.

Retailers must display the license prominently, post signage on the minimum sales age of 21 at every entrance, and cannot use self-service displays, meaning tobacco and vape products must stay behind a counter or case the customer cannot reach. Employees who sell or handle tobacco products must be at least 18. Clerks must check government-issued photo ID for any buyer who appears under 30. 060 blocks any new license within 500 feet of a public or private school or a youth-populated area such as a playground or youth center, measured property line to property line.

Licenses run for a calendar year, January 1 through December 31, and are non-transferable between owners or locations; a location that changes hands still carries forward its prior violation history unless the sale is an arm's-length transaction. 140.