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Chula Vista, CA Tobacco & Vaping: Flavored Tobacco Bans (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Effective date
January 1, 2023
Scope
Sale or intent-to-sell possession
Possession inference
4+ flavored products
Exemptions
Shisha, premium cigars, loose-leaf
Max criminal fine
$1,000 + 6 months jail

Summary

Since January 1, 2023, Chula Vista bans selling or possessing with intent to sell any flavored tobacco product, from menthol to fruit and dessert flavors, with narrow exemptions for shisha, premium cigars, and loose-leaf tobacco.

Sale of Flavored Tobacco Prohibited. Beginning January 1, 2023, it shall be unlawful for any Person to sell or offer for sale, or to possess with intent to sell or offer for sale, any Flavored Tobacco Product in the City of Chula Vista... Exempted Products. This section does not apply to the sale of Shisha, Premium Cigars, or Loose-Leaf Tobacco.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3623, passed May 19, 2026).

Full Breakdown

095(A) makes it unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, or possess with intent to sell any Flavored Tobacco Product in the City, effective January 1, 2023. 010(I) defines a Flavored Tobacco Product broadly as any tobacco product that contains or emits a taste or smell other than tobacco, including but not limited to fruit, mint, menthol, wintergreen, chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, honey, candy, dessert, alcoholic beverage, herb, or spice, covering both combustible products and electronic smoking devices, e-liquid, and related components under the chapter's definitions.

095(A)(2) creates a permissive inference that a product is flavored if the manufacturer publicly claims it has a non-tobacco taste or smell, or if its labeling or packaging explicitly or implicitly signals a flavor. 00, no filter or nontobacco mouth), and loose-leaf tobacco from the ban. 110.

Violations & Fines

Selling or possessing with intent to sell any Flavored Tobacco Product outside the shisha/premium-cigar/loose-leaf exemptions violates CVMC 5.56.095 and is a misdemeanor under CVMC 5.56.120, punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail, or a civil penalty of up to $2,500 per day. A violation can also lead to Tobacco Retailer permit suspension or revocation under the graduated schedule in CVMC 5.56.110.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Chula Vista's flavored tobacco ban take effect?
January 1, 2023, per CVMC 5.56.095(A), which makes it unlawful to sell, offer for sale, or possess with intent to sell any Flavored Tobacco Product in the City.
Are menthol cigarettes covered by Chula Vista's flavor ban?
Yes. CVMC 5.56.010(I) defines Flavored Tobacco Product to include any taste or smell other than tobacco, expressly listing menthol and wintergreen along with fruit, mint, chocolate, vanilla, candy and other flavors.
Is shisha exempt from Chula Vista's flavored tobacco ban?
Yes. CVMC 5.56.095(B) exempts shisha, along with Premium Cigars meeting the code's handmade/wholesale-price definition and loose-leaf tobacco, from the flavored tobacco sales prohibition.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Chula Vista

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