York County, VA Business Licensing & Operations: Tobacco Retail License (2026)

York County's zoning ordinance controls where a tobacco, vape, or e-cigarette retailer can operate through the coding system explained in Sec. 24.1-301: a 'P' means permitted as a matter of right, an 'A' means an administrative permit issued by the zoning administrator, an 'S' means the Board of Supervisors must approve a special use permit under the standards in Article I, and a blank cell means the use is not permitted at all. In the Category 10 Commercial/Retail table at Sec. 24.1-306, item 21, 'Tobacco/Vape/Electronic Cigarette Store' carries an 'S' in the LB (Limited Business), GB (General Business), and EO (Economic Opportunity) columns and is left blank across RC, RR, R33, R20, R13, R7, RMF, NB, WCI, IL, and IG.

That blank in NB (Neighborhood Business) is notable: many other Category 10 retail uses, such as drug stores and gift shops, are permitted or special-permitted in NB, but a vape or tobacco store is barred there outright, confined instead to the more intensive LB, GB, and EO districts. Because the use requires a special use permit rather than an administrative permit, an applicant must go through the Board's public hearing process under Article I rather than obtaining sign-off from staff alone, and the Board can attach conditions to the approval.

A retailer also still needs a zoning certificate of compliance under Sec. 24.1-107 before opening, on top of whatever state tobacco or ABC licensing applies separately.