Kennewick, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)

Merchants who sell tobacco products in the City of Kennewick are required to obtain a special license. Each licensed business must post a notice stating that it is illegal for a person under the age of 18 to possess any tobacco products.(4)A key provision of the law requires that a merchant not sell to any person under 18. The merchant must check the identification of any person under 30 prior to their purchasing cigarettes or tobacco products. Failure to comply is a gross misdemeanor, which may result in a maximum penalty of $5,000 and one year in jail.(5)If a merchant has a cigarette machine or other machine that dispenses tobacco products, the machine must be located where minors will not have access to it, such as a tavern or lounge or it must be equipped with a remote release switch which can be controlled by the merchant or his or her employees in such a manner as to preclude minors from operating the machine.(6)A merchant's Tobacco Sales License and Notice of Tobacco Regulations must be posted in a location readily visible to the merchant's customers. (Ord. 25-6082 Sec. 1, 2025; Ord. 3794 Sec. 2, 1998; Ord. 3723 Sec. 8, 1997; Ord. 3236 Sec. 1, 1990)