Toms River, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)
Key Facts
- School buffer
- 1,000 feet (vending machines)
- Sign required
- 6"x8" at register
- State sale age
- 21 (supersedes local 18 text)
- Enforced by
- Board of Health
- Vending fine
- $100–$500 per day
Summary
Toms River Township bars tobacco retailers from operating a vending machine that dispenses e-cigarettes or tobacco within 1,000 feet of any school, backing it with signage and underage-sale rules enforced by the Board of Health.
Except for premises described in § 462-5B, it shall be unlawful for a tobacco retailer to operate a vending machine that dispenses tobacco, tobacco products, or electronic smoking devices, or associated products, in or on any premises, or portion thereof within 1,000 feet of any public or private school or other property used primarily for school purposes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4954830; v33 updated 2026-04-22; through 04-22-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 462, last amended in 2019 to add electronic smoking devices, bans a tobacco retailer from running a vending machine dispensing e-cigarettes, tobacco, or related products within 1,000 feet of a public or private school: the Township's Tobacco-Free School Zones. Retailers must also post a six-by-eight-inch warning sign at the register and check ID before any sale. The ordinance's own text still lists 18 as the minimum sale age, but New Jersey's 2017 Tobacco21 law (P.L. 2017, c. 118) raised the statewide minimum to 21, superseding that figure.
Violations & Fines
Illegal vending-machine placement draws a $100–$500 per-day fine under § 462-9; direct underage sales bring a warning for a first offense and a $250 fine for repeat violations under § 462-8, enforced by the Board of Health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Toms River vape shop have a vending machine near a school?
Is 18 really the legal age to buy vapes in Toms River?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Toms River
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Tobacco Retail License in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle tobacco retail license.