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

Chapter 6.24 requires every proprietor to obtain a Tobacco Retail Establishment Permit from the Department before selling, offering, or displaying tobacco products or paraphernalia (§ 6.24.030(A), (E)). Sales must be vendor-assisted rather than self-service, except at a retail tobacco store; a point-of-purchase sign in quarter-inch letters must warn that sales to anyone under 21 are prohibited, and photo ID is required whenever a buyer appears younger than 21 (§ 6.24.030(B)-(D)). Applications must include proof of a valid state tobacco retailer's license and seller's permit from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, and disclose any chapter violations within the past five years (§ 6.24.040).

No permit issues for retailing by foot or from a vehicle, only a fixed location qualifies, and the Department can deny an application over disqualifying offenses listed in § 1.17.122, a Revenue and Taxation Code § 30473 felony conviction, or a prior revocation at the same address within five years (§ 6.24.050). Permits are nontransferable between owners or locations (§ 6.24.060), run for a two-year term, and carry a nonrefundable fee set by City Council resolution to recover administration and enforcement costs, due for renewal 30 days before expiration (§ 6.24.070).

The City checks each retailer's compliance at least once every 24 months, including decoy operations (§ 6.24.090). A retailer caught operating without a valid permit becomes ineligible for a new one at that location for 30 days after a first violation, 90 days after a second, and five years after a third or later violation within any 60-month period (§ 6.24.100).