Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- License required for
- Manufacturers, distributors, direct-buying retailers, vending operators, buyers
- Annual fee
- $100 per license per year
- Covers vapes
- "Other tobacco product" includes e-cigarettes, e-cigars, e-pipes
- Expires
- December 31, renewable up to 2 more years
- Display
- License must be posted at place of business
- Not transferable
- Except death, bankruptcy or court-ordered transfer
Summary
Anyone who manufactures, distributes, or sells cigarettes or other tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vaping devices, as a direct-buying retailer, vending operator or buyer in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough must hold a dealer license from the finance department. The license costs $100 a year, expires December 31, and must be displayed at the place of business.
No person may sell, purchase, possess, or acquire cigarettes or tobacco products in the borough as a manufacturer, distributor, direct-buying retailer, vending machine operator, or buyer without a license issued under this chapter. ... “Other tobacco product” means: ... Any noncombustible device that provides a vapor of liquid nicotine to the user or relies on vaporization of any liquid or solid nicotine, including devices manufactured as e-cigarettes, e-cigars, e-pipes, or any other product name.
Full Breakdown
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Code § 3.30.070(A) bars any person from selling, purchasing, possessing or acquiring cigarettes or tobacco products in the borough as a manufacturer, distributor, direct-buying retailer, vending machine operator, or buyer without a license from the finance department. The chapter's definitions in MSB § 3.30.200 reach beyond traditional cigars and chewing tobacco: 'other tobacco product' expressly includes 'any noncombustible device that provides a vapor of liquid nicotine to the user or relies on vaporization of any liquid or solid nicotine, including devices manufactured as e-cigarettes, e-cigars, e-pipes, or any other product name,' so a vape shop selling those devices is a licensed dealer under this chapter the same as a cigarette retailer.
Applicants submit their name, address, business category and, for vending operators, the number of machines to be operated, along with a copy of their current borough business license (MSB § 3.30.070(B)). The department can refuse a license for willfully withheld or false application information (MSB § 3.30.070(C)). Each license costs $100 per year (MSB § 3.30.080(A)), runs through December 31, and can be renewed for a further two years on application before it expires (MSB § 3.30.090(A)). A license is not assignable or transferable except in narrow circumstances such as death, bankruptcy or a court-ordered transfer of the business (MSB § 3.30.100(A)), and it must be prominently displayed at the licensee's place of business (MSB § 3.30.120(A)).
Violations & Fines
A licensee who ceases business, changes ownership or moves location must surrender the license within ten days (MSB § 3.30.120(B)). The finance department may suspend or revoke a dealer license for violating this chapter or for ceasing to act in the licensed capacity (MSB § 3.30.120(C)), and no person may sell or permit the sale of cigarettes or tobacco products, including vape products, on the premises while a license is suspended or revoked (MSB § 3.30.120(D)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do vape shops need a tobacco dealer license in the Mat-Su Borough?
How much does the license cost?
Can a dealer license be sold along with the business?
What happens if the license is suspended?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Matanuska-Susitna Borough
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