Manchester, NH Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Annual, expires April 30 (City Clerk)
- Covers
- Tobacco, vape, nicotine or lottery retailers
- Fee
- $50 first 1,500 sq ft, +$2/100 sq ft, cap $1,000
- Pre-issuance check
- Zoning verified before license issues
- Revocation
- Notice and hearing, Committee on Administration
- Enforcement
- Chief of Police may demand license on-site
- Penalty
- Each day of violation a separate offense
Summary
Manchester requires any "high-impact retail store" selling tobacco, vape or nicotine products, or lottery tickets, to hold an annual business license from the City Clerk. Sections 110.01 and 110.02(A) of the City Code define the category and make licensing mandatory before opening, with the license expiring every April 30 and zoning verified in advance.
HIGH-IMPACT RETAIL STORE. Any business which is accessible to the public where food, goods, merchandise or equipment is sold at retail and where tobacco, tobacco paraphernalia, smoking paraphernalia, including products that contain nicotine, liquid nicotine, vapors or inhalants and/or involve the on-site inhaling or smoking of such products, and/or lottery tickets are sold. ... (A) It shall be unlawful for any person to commence or conduct, or propose to commence or conduct, either directly or indirectly, a business within the city and identified by the provisions of this chapter, unless a license therefor, expiring on April 30 annually, has been issued by the City Clerk upon payment of the fee prescribed by the provisions of this chapter. A business or business activity required to file under this chapter shall include: ... hotels, motels, inns, bed and breakfasts; high-impact retail stores; tattoo and body piercing establishments; farmer's markets; food-service establishments; ...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: current through Ord. passed 6-3-2025).
Full Breakdown
01. 02(A) lists high-impact retail stores among the business types the city requires to license, alongside common victualers, pawnbrokers, hotels, tattoo and body piercing establishments, and food-service establishments. 20(A): $50 for the first 1,500 square feet of retail space, plus $2 per additional 100 square feet, capped at $1,000 regardless of store size. 09 requires the City Clerk to verify that the location's zoning permits the business; if the zoning does not allow it, the license is denied outright. 02(C) lets those departments impose added restrictions on a specific store to prevent a nuisance, defined to include anything that endangers life, health or safety or gives offense to the senses. 03.
Violations & Fines
Operating a high-impact retail store without the required license, or breaching a condition attached to it, exposes the owner to revocation by the City Clerk after notice and a hearing under Section 110.26(B), for causes including any violation of this title or of municipal zoning, health, police or fire rules. Section 110.99 makes each day of violation a separate offense, and the city may sue to enjoin the conduct and recover its attorney fees, expert fees and investigative costs. The Chief of Police may enter the store's public areas during business hours under Section 110.28 to demand the license be exhibited.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a Manchester store a "high-impact retail store"?
Do I need a city license to sell vapes or e-cigarettes in Manchester?
How much does a high-impact retail store license cost in Manchester?
Can Manchester deny a vape shop license over zoning?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Manchester
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