St. George, UT Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- License type
- Secondary license, not standalone
- Min. building size (food)
- 10,000 sq ft
- Min. building size (fuel)
- 2,000 sq ft
- Specialty tobacco shops
- Prohibited outright
- Max penalty
- $1,000, class B misdemeanor
Summary
St. George requires a secondary tobacco sales business license limited to food stores, gas stations, bars, and pharmacies over set square footage, while banning standalone retail tobacco specialty shops citywide.
No individual, entity, organization, or business shall sell tobacco products or tobacco paraphernalia unless it has obtained a tobacco sales business license. A tobacco sales business license shall only be issued as a secondary license to a business license for one of the following: 1. A business that is primarily engaged in the sale of food and beverage products and is located in a building which is ten thousand (10,000) square feet or larger; 2. A business...primarily engaged in the sale of gasoline or diesel fuel...two thousand (2,000) square feet or larger...
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-062, passed August 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code section 3-9-3, a business may sell tobacco products or paraphernalia only if it holds a tobacco sales business license issued as a secondary license to specific business types: food and beverage stores of at least 10,000 square feet, gas or diesel stations of at least 2,000 square feet, on-premises alcohol licensees, qualifying pharmacies, or businesses already lawfully selling tobacco before May 3, 2012. Separately, section 3-9-4 flatly prohibits operating a retail tobacco specialty business, defined as an establishment where tobacco sales exceed 35 percent of gross receipts. The city may suspend or revoke a tobacco license for pattern criminal activity or on-premises drug, alcohol, or zoning violations.
Violations & Fines
Selling tobacco without the required secondary license, or operating a retail tobacco specialty business, is a class B misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine plus mandatory surcharges under section 3-9-6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a standalone vape or cigar shop in St. George?
Which businesses can qualify for a tobacco sales license?
What happens if a business sells tobacco without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. George
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