Roseville, MN Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- Approving body
- Roseville City Council, after the city clerk forwards the application
- Age-restricted retailer cap
- Not more than four licenses at any time
- Renewal window
- Request at least 30 days, no more than 60 days, before expiration
- Minimum applicant age
- 21 years (Sec. 304.05)
- First-violation fine
- $1,000.00 administrative fine for the licensee
- Mobile sales
- No license for a moveable place of business
Summary
Selling tobacco, vape, or nicotine products at retail in Roseville requires a city license approved by the City Council. Only fixed-location businesses qualify, licenses cannot be transferred, and licenses for age-restricted tobacco retailers are capped at four at any time.
(a) License required. No person shall keep for retail sale, sell, or offer to sell at retail any licensed product as defined in this chapter without first having obtained a license to do so from the city. ( ... c) Action. ... The city council may approve or deny the application for a license, or it may delay action for a reasonable period of time to complete any investigation of the application or the applicant deemed necessary. ... (f) Moveable place of business. No license will be issued to a moveable place of business. Only fixed-location businesses are eligible to be licensed. ... (l) The number of licenses issued under this chapter to age-restricted tobacco retailers shall not exceed four at any time. The number of licenses issued under this chapter to retail establishments shall not be limited.
Official source re-checked November 3, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 304 of the Roseville City Code defines "licensed products" as any tobacco, tobacco-related device, electronic delivery device, or nicotine or lobelia delivery product, so vape devices and e-liquids sit under the same license as cigarettes. Under Sec. 304.03(a), no person can keep for retail sale, sell, or offer to sell any licensed product at retail without first obtaining a license from the city.
The application goes on a city form and lists the applicant's full name, residential and business addresses and telephone numbers, and the business name. The city clerk forwards a completed application to the City Council for action at its next regularly scheduled meeting; an incomplete one is returned with notice of what is missing. The Council can approve, deny, or delay action for a reasonable period to finish an investigation, and the clerk issues the license after approval. A denial comes with notice of the right to appeal. Under Sec. 304.04, no license issues until the fee set by the city fee schedule is paid in full.
Sec. 304.05 lists grounds for denial: an applicant under 21 years of age, a conviction within the past five years of a violation relating to licensed products, a license suspended or revoked within the preceding 12 months, missing or false application information, or a bar under other law.
A license is valid only for the premises and person named, and transfers are prohibited. Sec. 304.03(f) says no license will be issued to a moveable place of business. Renewal requests must be made at least 30 days, but no more than 60 days, before expiration, and issuance is a privilege that does not guarantee renewal. The license must be posted in plain view, smoking is prohibited in the indoor area of a licensed retail establishment, and free or nominal-cost samples are banned.
Sec. 304.03(l) caps licenses for age-restricted tobacco retailers at four at any time, while licenses for retail establishments such as grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, pharmacies, bars, and restaurants are not limited.
Violations & Fines
Under Sec. 304.09, a licensee found in violation, or whose employee violated the chapter, pays an administrative fine of $1,000.00 for a first violation and $2,000.00 for a second offense at the same premises within a 36-month period. The second violation brings a three consecutive day suspension, the third a seven consecutive day suspension and a $2,000.00 fine, and a fourth violation revokes the license. Other individuals pay $250.00. A second violation by a person 21 or older within five years of a prior conviction can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a vape shop in Roseville need the same license as a convenience store?
Can a food truck or kiosk get a Roseville tobacco license?
Who decides on a Roseville tobacco license application?
How often does Roseville check tobacco sellers?
Can I appeal a violation citation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Roseville
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Tobacco Retail License in Nearby Cities
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