Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup
Key FactsOrdinance TextFull BreakdownViolationsFAQSourcesMore in Livermore

Livermore, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

License required
Per fixed location, LMC Ch. 5.50
Buffer zone
1,000 ft from youth-populated areas
Civil fine
$250-$1,000 per violation
License term
1 year
Relicensing bar
30 days to 5 years by violation count
ID-check age
Under 27 requires ID check

Summary

Every tobacco retailer in Livermore needs a City license under LMC Chapter 5.50, issued per fixed location and barred within 1,000 feet of any school, library, playground or youth center. Violations bring a $250 to $1,000 civil fine, and a first violation blocks relicensing at that location for 30 days, rising to five years after a third.

A. No person shall be a tobacco retailer, or conduct tobacco retailing, in the City without a valid license. A person is a tobacco retailer, or is conducting tobacco retailing, in the City if any part of the sale occurs in the City, regardless of the location of the purchaser of the tobacco products. B. No person shall conduct tobacco retailing at a location in the City without a valid license for that specific location. C. The term of each license is one year, unless the license is revoked.

View official code

Full Breakdown

030(B) requires a separate license for each fixed location. 050(B)). 16. 060). 070). 040 layers on an escalating relicensing bar tied to the location itself: 30 days after a first violation within five years, 90 days after a second, and five years after a third, unless the business changed hands in an arm's-length sale. 090(D)).

Violations & Fines

Conducting tobacco retailing without a license, operating within 1,000 feet of a youth-populated area, or selling to an underage buyer without an ID check violates LMC Chapter 5.50 and is punishable by a civil fine of $250 to $1,000 per violation, prosecuted by the City Attorney or District Attorney, with each sale and each day of noncompliance charged as a separate offense (§§ 5.50.120, 5.50.130).

Frequently Asked Questions

How close can a tobacco shop be to a Livermore school?
No new or renewed tobacco retail license can issue within 1,000 feet of a youth-populated area under LMC § 5.50.050(C), a category that includes schools, public libraries, playgrounds, youth centers and licensed child care facilities. The distance is measured in a straight line between the two nearest property lines. Retailers operating lawfully before the ordinance took effect keep legal nonconforming status.
What's the fine for selling tobacco without a Livermore license?
LMC § 5.50.130(C) sets a civil fine of not less than $250 and not more than $1,000 per violation, brought by the City Attorney or District Attorney. Section 5.50.120(C) treats each sale and each day the violation continues as a separate offense, and § 5.50.130(F) allows criminal prosecution and seizure of the tobacco products as evidence.
Can a store get its Livermore tobacco license back after a violation?
It depends on how many violations the location has had within five years. LMC § 5.50.040 bars relicensing for 30 days after a first violation, 90 days after a second, and five years after a third, unless the business at that address changed hands in a genuine arm's-length sale.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Livermore

Parking Rules: Overnight ParkingSome RestrictionsAdult EntertainmentSignificant RestrictionsMassage EstablishmentsSignificant RestrictionsTowing CompaniesSignificant RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Leaf Blower RulesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Curb Color RulesSome Restrictions

All Livermore rules

California rules heatmap·Compare Livermore to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview

Get notified when Tobacco Retail License in Livermore, CA changes

We'll email you the moment we detect a change in the code. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We'll never sell or share your email. One-click unsubscribe in every email.

See something wrong?

Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.

Tobacco Retail License in Nearby Cities

How other cities in Alameda County handle tobacco retail license.

Fremont, CA
Significant Restrictions
Berkeley, CA
Significant Restrictions
San Leandro, CA
Significant Restrictions
Hayward, CA
Significant Restrictions