There are at least 380,000 tobacco retailers in the United States. The tobacco retail licensing and penalties differ from state to state. Discover these differences along with the penalties.
Tobacco State License Requirements and Renewal Frequency
| Region | License Required | Renewal (Years) |
| Alabama | Yes | 1 |
| Alaska | Yes | 1 |
| American Samoa | Yes | 1 |
| Arizona | No Provision | No Provision |
| Arkansas | Yes | 1 |
| California | Yes | 1 |
| Colorado | No Provision | No Provision |
| Connecticut | Yes | 1 |
| Delaware | Yes | 1 |
| District of Columbia | Yes | 1 |
| Florida | Yes | 1 |
| Georgia | Yes | 1 |
| Guam | Yes | 1 |
| Hawaii | Yes | 1 |
| Idaho | Yes | 1 |
| Illinois | Yes | 1 |
| Indiana | Yes | 3 |
| Iowa | Yes | 1 |
| Kansas | Yes | 2 |
| Kentucky | No Provision | No Provision |
| Louisiana | Yes | 1 |
| Maine | Yes | 1 |
| Marshall Islands | No Provision | No Provision |
| Maryland | Yes | 1 |
| Massachusetts | Yes | 2 |
| Michigan | No Provision | No Provision |
| Minnesota | Yes | No Provision |
| Mississippi | Yes | No Provision |
| Missouri | No Provision | No Provision |
| Montana | Yes | 1 |
| Nebraska | Yes | 1 |
| Nevada | Yes | 1 |
| New Hampshire | Yes | 1 |
| New Jersey | Yes | 1 |
| New Mexico | No Provision | No Provision |
| New York | Yes | 1 |
| North Carolina | No Provision | No Provision |
| North Dakota | Yes | 1 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Yes | 1 |
| Ohio | Yes | 1 |
| Oklahoma | Yes | 3 |
| Oregon | No Provision | No Provision |
| Palau | Yes | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | 1 |
| Puerto Rico | Yes | 1 |
| Rhode Island | Yes | 1 |
| South Carolina | No Provision | No Provision |
| South Dakota | No Provision | No Provision |
| Tennessee | No Provision | No Provision |
| Texas | Yes | 2 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Yes | 1 |
| Utah | Yes | 3 |
| Vermont | Yes | 1 |
| Virginia | Yes | 5 |
| Washington | Yes | None |
| West Virginia | Yes | 1 |
| Wisconsin | Yes | No Provision |
| Wyoming | No Provision | No Provision |
Business Penalties by State
| Region | Penalty to Business (Type) | License Suspension or Revocation |
| Alabama | Misdemeanor: Fine | Both |
| Alaska | Misdemeanor: Fine, Imprisonment | Both |
| American Samoa | Fine | Both |
| Arizona | No Provision | No Provision |
| Arkansas | Class A misdemeanor | Both |
| California | License Suspension and Revocation | Both |
| Colorado | No Provision | No Provision |
| Connecticut | Fine or imprisonment, or both | Both |
| Delaware | Fine or imprisonment up to 90 days, or both | Both |
| District of Columbia | Civil Penalty, fine | Both |
| Florida | Fine | Both |
| Georgia | Misdemeanor; Imprisonment, Fine, or Both | Both |
| Guam | Fine | No Provision |
| Hawaii | Misdemeanor | Both |
| Idaho | Misdemeanor, Fine or Imprisonment, or both | Both |
| Illinois | Class 4 Misdemeanor; Fine | Both |
| Indiana | Class A Infraction | Revocation |
| Iowa | Fine | Revocation |
| Kansas | Misdemeanor: Fine or Imprisonment, or both | Both |
| Kentucky | No Provision | No Provision |
| Louisiana | Misdemeanor: Fine or Imprisonment, or both | Both |
| Maine | Class E Crime: Fine, Imprisonment | Both |
| Marshall Islands | No Provision | No Provision |
| Maryland | Misdemeanor: Fine, Imprisonment | Both |
| Massachusetts | Fine | Both |
| Michigan | No Provision | No Provision |
| Minnesota | Administrative Penalty | Suspension |
| Mississippi | Misdemeanor: Fine | Revocation |
| Missouri | No Provision | No Provision |
| Montana | Misdemeanor: Fine or Imprisonment, or Both | Both |
| Nebraska | Class III Misdemeanor: Fine or Imprisonment, or both | Revocation |
| Nevada | Gross Misdemeanor: Fine or Imprisonment | Both |
| New Hampshire | Misdemeanor: Fine | Both |
| New Jersey | Fine | Both |
| New Mexico | No Provision | No Provision |
| New York | Fine | No Provision |
| North Carolina | No Provision | No Provision |
| North Dakota | Class A Misdemeanor: Fine or Imprisonment, or both. | Revocation |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Fine | Both |
| Ohio | 4th Degree Misdemeanor: Fine, Imprisonment | Revocation |
| Oklahoma | Fine | Both |
| Oregon | No Provision | No Provision |
| Palau | Fine; Imprisonment | Revocation |
| Pennsylvania | Fine or Imprisonment | Suspension |
| Puerto Rico | No Provision | Both |
| Rhode Island | Fine and/or imprisonment | Both |
| South Carolina | No Provision | No Provision |
| South Dakota | No Provision | No Provision |
| Tennessee | No Provision | No Provision |
| Texas | Fine | Both |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Misdemeanor; Fine | No Provision |
| Utah | Class B misdemeanor: Fine, Imprisonment | Both |
| Vermont | Misdemeanor: Fine | Both |
| Virginia | Fine; Imprisonment | Both |
| Washington | Class C Felony | Both |
| West Virginia | Misdemeanor: Fine | Both |
| Wisconsin | Fine or Imprisonment | Both |
| Wyoming | No Provision | No Provision |
Download the PDF for a summary and the Excel for the full data set of state tobacco laws that were accessed and downloaded from the CDC’s STATE System’s custom report portal.
Interested in learning how to download your own report? View this video.
