Multnomah County requires every Portland tobacco and vape retailer to hold an annual tobacco retail license under MCC Chapter 21. The license costs about 580 dollars, requires staff training, and prohibits sales within 1000 feet of schools.
Multnomah County passed a Tobacco Retail License (TRL) ordinance in 2016 (MCC Chapter 21), requiring all stores selling tobacco or inhalant delivery systems within unincorporated county and Portland to obtain an annual license. Fees fund compliance checks and youth education. Licensees must train staff, verify ID for buyers under 30, prohibit self-service displays, and stay 1000 feet from K-12 schools. Pharmacies are barred from selling tobacco. Violations follow a stepped suspension schedule: 30, 90, then 365 days. License revocation requires three failed compliance checks within three years.
Operating without a TRL, selling within a school buffer, displaying products in self-service formats, or failing two compliance checks risks license suspension, fines up to one thousand dollars per day, and revocation after three strikes.
See how Portland's vape retail rules rules stack up against other locations.
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