LACO Title 11.04.260 requires every tobacco retailer in unincorporated LA County to hold an annual county license costing roughly $342, with density caps near schools, pharmacy bans, and 1,000-foot buffers from K-12 campuses. Incorporated cities have their own programs.
Ordinance 2019-0074 added Title 11.04.260, creating one of the strongest local tobacco retail licensing schemes in California. Retailers in unincorporated areas pay an annual fee around $342 per location, capped at one license per 2,500 residents, and may not operate within 1,000 feet of a K-12 school or 500 feet of another tobacco retailer. Pharmacies cannot sell tobacco. The license layers on top of the state CDTFA license under Bus. & Prof. Code section 22970. License denial follows three or more violations in a 60-month period, including underage-sales failures or flavored-product sales. Incorporated cities like Beverly Hills, Pasadena, and Manhattan Beach run independent TRL programs; the county license does not reach inside city limits.
Operating without a county license is a misdemeanor under LACO Title 1.25 with fines escalating to $1,000 per day. Three violations in 60 months trigger automatic non-renewal and inventory seizure by LACDPH and LASD.
See how other cities in Los Angeles County handle tobacco retail license.
See how Norwalk's tobacco retail license rules stack up against other locations.
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