Baltimore County, MD Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- County-issued license
- None; verification/display rules only
- Sale to minors penalty
- $500 / $1,000 / $3,000 (or 1-mo. suspension)
- ID check required
- For any buyer appearing 30 or younger
- Display rule
- Products not accessible to customers
- Enforcer
- Baltimore County Health Officer
Summary
Baltimore County does not issue a separate retail tobacco license; instead Code Section 13-12-103 bars selling tobacco products or paraphernalia to anyone under 21 and Section 13-12-103.1 forces every retailer to check government ID for buyers who look under 30, with escalating fines run by the Health Officer.
(a)Owner. An owner may not distribute to a person under the age of 21:(1)Any tobacco product;(2)Tobacco paraphernalia; or(3)A coupon redeemable for a tobacco product.(b)Other person. A person other than an owner may not:(1)Buy for or sell any tobacco product to a person under the age of 21; or(2)Distribute tobacco paraphernalia to a person under the age of 21. Section 13-12-103.1(a)Each owner or other distributor shall verify by means of government issued identification containing the bearer's date of birth that each person purchasing a tobacco product or tobacco paraphernalia is at least 21 years of age.(b)No such verification is required for any person over the age of 30. Section 13-12-104(a)Accessibility. Any person who owns or operates a business that engages in the retail sale of a tobacco product may not store or display tobacco products unless such products:(1)Are not immediately accessible to customers; and(2)Are accessible only to the owner or operator of the business or an agent or employee of the owner or operator.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 29 | Zoning Regulations: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
Baltimore County Code Article 21, Title 12 regulates tobacco and e-cigarette sales without creating a distinct retail license; a retailer's authority to sell rests on state licensing, and the county layers on distribution and display rules. Section 13-12-103 bars an owner from distributing tobacco products, tobacco paraphernalia, or a redeemable coupon to anyone under 21, and separately bars any other person from buying for or selling to an underage person; a sale is not a violation if the seller checked a driver's license or other government ID that positively confirmed the buyer was at least 21.
1 goes further, requiring every owner or distributor to verify age by government ID showing date of birth for each tobacco purchase, though no check is required for a buyer who appears over 30. Section 13-12-104 requires tobacco products to be stored or displayed so they are not immediately accessible to customers, reachable only by an owner, operator, or employee, with an exception for a dedicated adults-only tobacconist shop. Section 13-12-105 puts enforcement in the hands of the county Health Officer, who issues correction notices before citations for first-time display or ID-check violations, and can go straight to a citation for a distribution-to-minors violation or a repeat offense at the same location.
Violations & Fines
An owner's civil penalty for distributing to a minor under Section 13-12-103 runs $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second, and $3,000 or a one-month suspension of tobacco sales for a third or later violation within a two-year period. Display violations under Section 13-12-104 draw a correction notice first, then $500, $1,000, and $1,500 for repeat offenses; ID-check lapses under Section 13-12-103.1 draw a correction notice, then $100 and $250. A cited owner may request a code enforcement hearing with the Health Officer within 15 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Baltimore County require a separate license to sell vapes or tobacco?
Who does a retailer have to card when selling tobacco or vapes?
What happens the first time a store is caught selling to a minor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baltimore County
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