Will County, IL Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing authority
- Will County Executive
- Annual license fee
- $25 per location
- Geographic reach
- Unincorporated Will County only
- First violation fine
- $250 within 12 months
Summary
Retailers selling alternative nicotine products (vapes, e-liquids) or tobacco in unincorporated Will County must obtain a $25 annual county license before any sale.
No person shall sell or permit the sale of any tobacco products in unincorporated Will County without first having obtained a license to sell tobacco products in each location, place or premises wherein it is proposed by a prospective licensee to sell tobacco products.
(B) Where two or more locations, places or premises are under the same roof, or are located at one street address, a separate license shall be obtained for each location, place or premises, unless all rooms in which it is intended to sell tobacco products are directly connected or are adjacent to and accessible to each other without leaving the building. Each licensee shall define with certainty the room or rooms in which tobacco products are to be sold.
(C) No person licensed to sell tobacco products under any license issued by the County Executive shall be permitted to sell, give away or otherwise dispose of tobacco products at any place other than the place specifically described in his or her license whether the place is in the same building or not. (1980 Code, § 120.10) (Ord. 09-181, adopted 6-18-2009; Ord. 19-186, adopted 8- 15-2019) Penalty, see § 120.99
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance No. 24-100, passed 4-18-2024 and Res. 23-387, passed 11-16-2023; and State legislation approved through 2024 Pamphlet #2).
Full Breakdown
Will County Code Chapter 120 covers the "Sale and Possession of Tobacco Products and Alternative Nicotine Products" together, and § 120.15 bars selling in unincorporated Will County without a license issued by the County Executive for each location. § 120.24(B)(1) confirms enforcement reaches "any place used for the retail sale of tobacco products or alternative nicotine products ... licensed or unlicensed hereunder," so vape retailers fall under the same license as tobacco sellers. The annual fee is $25 (§ 120.23), and applicants face a character/eligibility screen under § 120.20 (no felons found unrehabilitated, no prior revoked license, etc.). This licensing scheme applies only to unincorporated county territory. Joliet, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Plainfield and Lockport license tobacco and vape retailers under their own municipal codes, not this chapter.
Violations & Fines
Unlicensed retail sale lets Sheriff's deputies close the premises for the rest of the business day (§ 120.24(C)); the County Executive can also fine, suspend, or revoke the license, and § 120.99 sets escalating fines of $250/$500/$1,000 for first/second/third violations within 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Will County have a separate vape shop license?
Does this license apply inside Joliet or Bolingbrook?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Will County
Compare Will County to another location·View the Illinois business licensing & operations overview
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