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Orem, UT Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Community-location buffer
1,000 feet
Buffer from another tobacco shop
600 feet
Residential/agricultural buffer
600 feet
Citywide cap
1 per 25,000 residents
Triggering threshold
35% of receipts or 20% of floor/shelf space

Summary

A retail tobacco specialty business in Orem, a shop built around vape, e-cigarette, or tobacco sales, can't sit within 1,000 feet of a school or park, 600 feet of another such shop, or 600 feet of residential or agricultural land, and the City caps the total citywide at one per 25,000 residents.

Separation Requirement. Pursuant to Utah Code Section 10-8-41.6(4), no retail tobacco specialty business may be located within: 1,000 feet of a community location; 600 feet of another retail tobacco specialty business; or 600 feet from property used or zoned for agricultural or residential use. ... No more than one retail tobacco specialty business shall be allowed for every 25,000 citizens living in the City of Orem.

Full Breakdown

6. to the nearest property boundary," without regard to intervening buildings or zoning lines. On top of the separation rule, Orem caps the citywide total: "No more than one retail tobacco specialty business shall be allowed for every 25,000 citizens living in the City of Orem," and each separate physical location counts toward that cap. Because the cap and separation rules apply to the specialty-business definition rather than to every store that carries cigarettes, a grocery or convenience store selling tobacco as a minor part of its business generally falls outside Section 22-14-21(D) unless it crosses the 35%-of-receipts or 20%-of-floor-space thresholds.

Violations & Fines

A retail tobacco specialty business that opens inside a barred buffer, or that pushes the City over its one-per-25,000-residents cap, is operating in violation of Section 22-14-21(D) and can be denied or have its business license revoked by the City. As with other Chapter 22 zoning violations, a knowing violation carries the Section 22-1-6 penalty: a Class C misdemeanor, up to a $500 fine, and up to three months in jail.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a store a 'retail tobacco specialty business' under Orem's code?
Section 22-14-21(D) triggers on several tests: tobacco, e-cigarette, and nicotine sales exceeding 35% of quarterly gross receipts, 20% or more of retail floor or shelf space devoted to those products, selling any flavored e-cigarette product, or featuring a self-service tobacco display.
How far must a vape shop be from a school in Orem?
At least 1,000 feet from a 'community location.' Section 22-14-21(D) measures the distance 'in a straight line from the nearest entrance of the retail tobacco specialty business to the nearest property boundary,' without regard to intervening structures or zoning districts.
Is there a limit on how many vape shops Orem allows?
Yes. Section 22-14-21(D) caps it at 'no more than one retail tobacco specialty business... for every 25,000 citizens living in the City of Orem,' and treats each separate physical location as its own business for counting toward that cap.

Sources & Official References

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