Middleton, WI Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- License period
- July 1 to June 30 annually
- First-offense fine
- $25 to $100
- Second-offense fine
- $25 to $200
- Late renewal fee
- 15% of license fee
- Issued by
- City Clerk
- Denial appeal
- License and Ordinance Committee
Summary
Selling cigarettes, electronic vaping devices or tobacco products in Middleton requires an annual license from the City Clerk under Municipal Code § 7.16. Licenses run July 1 through June 30, and "electronic vaping device" is defined broadly to reach e-cigarettes, vape pens and e-hookahs regardless of nicotine content. Fines start at $25, rise on a second offense, and each unlicensed day counts as a separate violation.
"Electronic vaping device" means a device that may be used to deliver any aerosolized or vaporized liquid or other substance for inhalation, regardless of whether the liquid or other substance contains nicotine, including an e-cigarette, e-cigar, e-pipe, vape pen, or e-hookah. ... It shall be unlawful for any person, in any manner, directly or indirectly, upon any pretense or by any device, to manufacture, to directly or indirectly sell, exchange, barter, dispose of or give away, or keep for sale any cigarettes, electronic vaping devices, or tobacco products in the City of Middleton without first obtaining a license under this Section. ... Any person violating any of the provisions of this Section may be subject to a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) for the first offense and not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than two hundred dollars ($200.00) for the second offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 3 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
16 makes it unlawful, directly or indirectly and under any pretense, to manufacture, sell, exchange, barter, give away or keep for sale any cigarettes, electronic vaping devices or tobacco products in Middleton without a City Clerk license. "Cigarette" carries the meaning set in Wis. 30 and "tobacco products" the meaning in Wis. 75(12). An applicant files a written application naming the person and the place of business, and the license is not delivered until the Clerk receives proof the fee was paid; the fee sits within the range the state authorizes under Wis.
65. A person with a disqualifying arrest or conviction record under Wis. 335 cannot be licensed. If the Clerk denies an application, the applicant gets written notice of the denial and its reasons and can request reconsideration by the License and Ordinance Committee, with notice mailed or served at least ten days before that hearing, where the applicant may present evidence. Licenses issue every July 1 and run to the following June 30 unless revoked earlier for a violation. Renewal must happen by June 30 or the licensee owes a late filing fee of fifteen percent of the license fee, on top of any other penalty for lacking a license.
Violations & Fines
A first offense under Section 7.16 carries a fine of twenty-five to one hundred dollars, and a second offense carries twenty-five to two hundred dollars. Each day cigarettes, electronic vaping devices or tobacco products are manufactured, sold or otherwise disposed of in Middleton without a valid license counts as a separate offense, so an ongoing unlicensed operation can accumulate daily fines quickly on top of losing the license itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do vape shops need a separate license from cigarette retailers in Middleton?
When does a Middleton tobacco or vape retail license expire?
What's the penalty for selling tobacco products in Middleton without a license?
Can the City deny a tobacco retail license application?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Middleton
Compare Middleton to another location·View the Wisconsin business licensing & operations overview
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 Dane County handle tobacco retail license.