Montebello, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Per location, Section 5.80.030(A)
- ID-check age
- Anyone appearing under 27
- Self-service displays
- Prohibited citywide
- Smoking buffer
- 25 ft from doorway if smoking allowed
- Compliance checks
- At least twice per 12 months
- First violation penalty
- 30-day suspension
- Repeat violation
- License revocation after 3rd offense
Summary
In the City of Montebello, every tobacco retailer, including vape and e-cigarette sellers, must hold a Chapter 5.80 tobacco retailer's license for each location, check ID from anyone appearing under 27, and cannot use self-service displays, with the Montebello Police Department running compliance checks and suspensions.
A.Tobacco Retailer License Required. It shall be unlawful for any person to act as a tobacco retailer in the city without first obtaining and maintaining a valid tobacco retailer's license pursuant to this chapter for each location at which that activity is to occur. Tobacco retailing without a valid tobacco retailer's license is a nuisance as a matter of law. ... D.Positive Identification Required. No person engaged in tobacco retailing shall sell or transfer a tobacco product or tobacco paraphernalia to another person who appears to be under the age of twenty-seven years without first examining the identification of the recipient to confirm that the recipient is at least the minimum age under state law to purchase and possess the tobacco product or tobacco paraphernalia. ... In addition, no license may be issued to authorize tobacco retailing at any location where smoking is permitted within twenty-five feet of any doorway, window, opening, or other vent into the licensed premises. ... 1.A first violation of this chapter shall result in a thirty-day suspension of the right to sell tobacco products and tobacco paraphernalia.
Full Breakdown
Montebello Municipal Code Chapter 5.80 makes it unlawful to act as a tobacco retailer, defined to include anyone selling tobacco, tobacco products or tobacco paraphernalia, without a valid license for each fixed location, per Section 5.80.030(A). Retailing without a license is declared a nuisance as a matter of law. Retailers must examine ID for any customer who appears to be under 27 before a sale, may not use self-service displays or vending machines, and must keep products out of public view if unlicensed. Section 5.80.040 bars issuing any license for mobile sales or for a fixed location where smoking is allowed inside the premises or within 25 feet of any doorway, window or vent into the licensed premises.
Applications go through the Montebello Police Department, which requires proof of a state Board of Equalization tobacco license, a valid city business license, and a signed statement that no drug paraphernalia will be sold. The department must check compliance with youth-access laws at least twice every twelve months under Section 5.80.110(B), and may use supervised minor decoys without exposing the city to liability. Fees, set by council resolution, are calculated to recover the cost of administering and enforcing the program and are nonrefundable except as required by law.
Violations & Fines
Section 5.80.120(B) imposes escalating suspensions: a first violation costs a 30-day suspension of the right to sell tobacco, a second within 60 months draws 90 days, and a third or subsequent violation revokes the license. Selling without any license triggers ineligibility periods under Section 5.80.130: 30 days after a first offense, 90 days after a second, and five years after a third within 60 months at that location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do vape and e-cigarette shops need a tobacco retailer license in Montebello?
What age triggers an ID check for tobacco sales in Montebello?
Can a tobacco shop use self-service displays?
What is the penalty for a repeat tobacco licensing violation in Montebello?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montebello
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