Lauderhill, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)

Section 5.49 of the Land Development Regulations regulates where and how a tobacco store may operate. Section 5.49.1 sets a minimum 1,000-foot separation between a tobacco store and any other tobacco store, any public or private primary or secondary school, and any public park, though the separation rule does not apply to a cigar bar or hookah lounge. Before the City will issue a Certificate of Use, Section 5.49.5.A requires the applicant to file the state's retail tobacco products dealer permit issued under Section 569.003, Florida Statutes, plus a full inventory of goods to be sold, and the value of any smoking pipes, smoking devices, drug paraphernalia, and scales on site cannot exceed 50 percent of the value of the tobacco product inventory.

If the store also sells smoking pipes and devices, Section 5.49.5 requires at least 75 percent of quarterly gross revenue to come from tobacco products rather than paraphernalia, and any store drawing more than 25 percent of revenue from pipes and devices becomes a prohibited use outright. Once licensed, Section 5.49.5.B requires the store to file a quarterly sales report proving continued compliance; missing that report within 45 days of the quarter's end is itself a violation that can trigger a fine, and the City can suspend or revoke the Certificate of Use and local business tax receipt for a store that falls out of compliance.

Section 5.49.2 also requires at least 30 percent of every entry door to carry the Surgeon General's tobacco warning, and Section 5.49.4 bans dynamic display window signs at a tobacco store.