Monterey Park, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 9.100.030
- License required per
- Fixed location, renewed annually
- E-cigarettes covered
- Health & Safety Code § 119405 definition
- Fines
- $100/$200/$500 for 1st/2nd/3rd violation
- Late penalty
- 10% per month, capped at 50%
- Administered by
- Monterey Park Police Department
- Adopted
- Ord. 2075 § 2, 2010
Summary
In the City of Monterey Park every tobacco retailer, including sellers of electronic cigarettes and vaping devices, must hold a Chapter 9.100 license for each fixed location under Municipal Code Section 9.100.030. The police department administers annual licenses, and violators face administrative fines, response-cost billing, and license suspension or revocation.
(a) It is unlawful for any person to act as a tobacco retailer without a valid license issued pursuant to this chapter for each location at which activity is proposed to occur.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 9.100 TOBACCO RETAILER LICENSE was adopted by Ordinance 2075, Section 2, in 2010, and amended by Ordinance 2112 in 2014 and Ordinance 2188 in 2020. Section 9.100.020 defines "electronic cigarette" using the Health and Safety Code Section 119405 definition and folds vaping devices, along with cannabis paraphernalia, into the same licensing scheme as cigarettes and cigars. Section 9.100.030 makes it unlawful to act as a tobacco retailer without a valid license for each location, or to retail from anywhere but a fixed location within the city.
The police chief and department administer the program (Section 9.100.040); applications go through the business licensing division, signed under penalty of perjury and disclosing any prior suspension or revocation (Section 9.100.060). The chief must issue a license once the application is complete and fees are paid, absent a denial ground such as an incomplete or materially false application or a prior revoked license (Sections 9.100.070, 9.100.080). Licenses run one year, must be displayed prominently, are nontransferable, and must be renewed within thirty days of expiration (Sections 9.100.100, 9.100.110, 9.100.130).
A second police response to the same retailer within six months for a confirmed violation triggers billable "response costs," recoverable through an invoice, an appeal to an independent hearing officer, and ultimately a property lien if unpaid past ninety days (Sections 9.100.140 through 9.100.280). The chief may separately levy administrative fines under Section 9.100.340 and suspend or revoke a license for undisclosed disqualifying facts or violation of license conditions under Section 9.100.380.
Violations & Fines
The police chief may fine a tobacco or e-cigarette retailer up to $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third or subsequent violation within any twelve-month period under Section 9.100.340, plus a 10 percent monthly late penalty capped at 50 percent and 1 percent monthly interest on delinquent fines under Section 9.100.360. The chief may also suspend or revoke the license under Section 9.100.380, and unpaid response-cost invoices become a lien against the retailer's property after ninety days under Section 9.100.250.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Monterey Park's tobacco license cover vape shops?
How long does a Monterey Park tobacco retailer license last?
What triggers a "response cost" bill from the police department?
What fines apply for violating the tobacco license chapter?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey Park
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