Newport Beach, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)

55 requires that no person own, operate or conduct a tobacco retailer business without first obtaining and maintaining a valid tobacco retailer's permit for each location. Permits cannot issue for a location that violates Title 20 or 21 zoning, must sit in a district where retail sales are permitted, and cannot be issued or renewed for premises licensed for on-site alcohol consumption or restaurants serving food for on-site consumption. 015(D) sets minimum separation of 1,000 feet from another permitted tobacco retailer, 500 feet from any public or private school, day care, park, playground, hospital or youth center, and 500 feet from any residential zoning district, measured in a straight line between closest property lines.

A business operating lawfully before the ordinance took effect can keep operating as a legal nonconforming use if it applies within 60 days, keeps its permit current, and never closes for more than 60 consecutive days. Applications go to the Chief of Police with a non-refundable Council-set fee, proprietor identification, proof of the required California Department of Tax and Fee Administration state license, and disclosure of any past suspensions or revocations; permits run one year and are non-transferable. 030 separately bans selling nitrous oxide, cannabis products, flavored tobacco and flavor enhancers, imitation tobacco like candy cigarettes, and disguised vape devices, and requires checking government-issued photo ID before any sale.