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

Section 4-36-150 makes it unlawful to act as a tobacco retailer in the City without a valid tobacco retailer's license issued under Chapter 4-36, and declares unlicensed tobacco retailing a nuisance as a matter of law. The license must be prominently displayed, self-service displays including vending machines are prohibited, no one under 18 may sell tobacco, and clerks must check ID for any buyer who appears under 27. Section 4-36-150(k) sets a minimum cigar pack size, barring single-cigar sales and setting a floor of seven dollars per five cigars unless the single cigar's retail price exceeds five dollars or a higher Council-set threshold.

Applications under Section 4-36-250 go to the Finance Department, naming every proprietor, and must include proof of a valid State tobacco license from the Board of Equalization, a five-year violation history disclosure, and a signed statement that no drug paraphernalia is or will be sold at the location. The Administrator, the Chief of Police or designee, issues the license under Section 4-36-300 unless the application is false, the location is barred by the Chapter, or the applicant is otherwise ineligible; a license issued at a location where products are barred under the Zoning Code cannot be granted under Section 4-36-200.

Compliance is monitored by the Police Department through decoy compliance checks under Section 4-36-550. The license fee, set by City Council resolution in the Master Fee Schedule under Section 4-36-500, is capped at the cost of administering and enforcing the licensing program and is nonrefundable.