Los Angeles County Code §11.35.030 requires all tobacco retailers, tobacco shops and smokers' lounges (including cigar, hookah and vape lounges), in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County must obtain a Los Angeles County Tobacco Retail License (TRL) before selling tobacco, tobacco products and/or tobacco paraphernalia. The TRL must be prominently displayed in a publicly visible location at the licensed premises.

To obtain a Los Angeles County TRL, complete the following forms:

• Los Angeles County Tobacco Retail License Application Form (PDF)
• Tobacco Laws Affirmation Form (PDF)
• Tobacco Retailer Affirmation Form (PDF)

Completed TRL forms and supporting documentation may be emailed to the Los Angeles County Tobacco Control and Prevention Program at tobacco1@ph.lacounty.gov.

To determine if your business is located in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, click here and enter your business address to see if it is located in an "unincorporated" area.

Additional Information and Resources

Los Angeles County Code §7.83.030 requires all tobacco shops and smokers’ lounges operating in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County must obtain a Los Angeles County Tobacco Shop business license before selling tobacco, tobacco products and/or tobacco paraphernalia. To obtain a Tobacco Shop business license contact the Business Licensing Section of the Treasurer and Tax Collector's Office at (213) 974-2011 or businesslicense@ttc.lacounty.gov.

The State of California requires that all tobacco retailers have a Cigarette and Tobacco Products Retailer License. You can get yours from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. NOTE: a California Cigarette and Tobacco Products Retailer License is required to obtain a Los Angeles County TRL. You need BOTH licenses to sell tobacco, tobacco products and/or tobacco paraphernalia in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

Tobacco retailers, including tobacco shops and smokers’ lounges, may not sell and display tobacco, tobacco products, and tobacco paraphernalia until all applicable licenses are obtained and prominently displayed in publicly visible locations on the premises.

Important information for Tobacco Retailers, Tobacco Shops and Smokers’ Lounges (including cigar, hookah and vape lounges) operating in unincorporated Los Angeles County:

• Tobacco Laws Affecting Tobacco Retailers (PDF)
• Tobacco Laws Affecting Tobacco Shops (PDF)
• Tobacco Laws Affecting Smokers’ Lounges (PDF)
• Tracking Tobacco Laws: A California Digest, 2023 (PDF)
• What is a Tobacco Product (PDF)
• Tobacco 21 is the Law. Tobacco retailers are required to post this sticker.
• Los Angeles County Tobacco Ordinance
• Reference Guide – Official Tobacco Inspection Report - Updated: October 2022 (PDF)

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the Los Angeles County Tobacco Control and Prevention Program at (213) 351-7890 or tobacco1@ph.lacounty.gov.

On September 24, 2019, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved an Ordinance containing two new requirements for Los Angeles County proprietors: (1) a Tobacco Shop Business License; and (2) restricted retail sales of tobacco products. The new restrictions and requirements only apply to tobacco retailers in the unincorporated areas of the county. The law does not apply to personal possession or use of tobacco products. After a six-month implementation and education period, the law became enforceable on May 1, 2020.

Beginning February 1, 2022, the Department of Public Health will issue administrative citations and/or license suspensions for violations of county tobacco retailing laws. These violations include, but are not limited to:

• The sale of flavored tobacco products (e.g., flavored hookah tobacco, flavored little cigars and cigarillos, flavored electronic tobacco products and mentholated cigarettes); and,
• The sale of little cigars in packages of less than 20 units; and,
• Selling tobacco products without a valid, prominently displayed, Los Angeles County Tobacco Retail License; and,
• Selling tobacco products without a valid, prominently displayed, Los Angeles County Tobacco Shop Business License, (note, this only applies to tobacco retailers that exclusively or predominately sell tobacco, tobacco products, or tobacco paraphernalia).

Penalties include administrative citations consisting of fines between a minimum of $250 and a maximum of $1000, and/or license suspensions at a minimum of 7-days and a maximum of 120-days. In the event of repeat offenses, license revocation is possible. Please note, sale of flavored tobacco products will result in an immediate license suspension.

Please see the Reference Guide for the Tobacco Retail Official Inspection Report for more information about compliance with county tobacco retailing laws.

Additional Resources

• Non-exhaustive list of prohibited flavored tobacco products, revised: October 15, 2024 (PDF) - Please note, this document supersedes previously released lists produced by the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health.
• The Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products is Prohibited in Unincorporated Los Angeles County (info-graphic), September 24, 2024 (PDF)
• Steps to determine if a tobacco product is defined as a “flavored tobacco product” in Unincorporated LA County (PDF)
• Retailers in California, including retailers operating in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, are prohibited from possessing flavored tobacco products with the intent to sell, even if orders are placed online and picked up in person. For more information, see the California Department of Public Health's Frequently Asked Questions: California’s Flavored Tobacco Products Retail Law - Updated November 2023 (PDF).
• Flavored Tobacco Sales are Prohibited: Unincorporated Los Angeles County (Fact Sheet), revised: June 6, 2024:
  • English (PDF)
  • Spanish (PDF)
  • Vietnamese (PDF)
  • Korean (PDF)
  • Chinese - Traditional (PDF)
  • Chinese - Simplified (PDF)
  • Punjabi (PDF)
  • Arabic (PDF)

For more information regarding changes to the County of Los Angeles tobacco retailing laws, please email the Department of Public Health at: tobacco1@ph.lacounty.gov, or call: (213) 351-7890.

On November 8, 2022, California voters upheld the statewide ban on most flavored tobacco products. The California law will prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products by tobacco retailers statewide, including any tobacco product that has a characterizing flavor, which is defined to cover any distinguishable taste or aroma other than that of tobacco, explicitly listing mint and menthol flavors as examples. The law exempts certain types of tobacco products from the ban, such as the sale of hookah and shisha if sold by a licensed hookah tobacco retailer that limits entry to those aged 21 and over. The law will allow the sale of premium cigars and loose-leaf tobacco. The law became effective on December 21, 2022.

Effective January 1, 2024, Assembly Bill (AB) 935 (Chapter 135, Statutes of 2023) strengthens the California flavored tobacco products retail law, Senate Bill (SB) 793, by establishing the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) as the primary state enforcement agency, increases penalties for retailers who do not comply with the law, and changes the definition of a retail location. For more information, see CDPH's Frequently Asked Questions: California's Flavored Tobacco Products Retail Law - Updated November 2023 (PDF).

The law does not preempt local ordinances that go beyond State law in prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products. Therefore, tobacco retailers operating in Unincorporated Los Angeles County are required to follow the County’s flavor ban (Los Angeles County Code 11.35.070 E) that is more restrictive than the state’s ban. For example, the County’s flavored tobacco ban prohibits the sale of all flavored tobacco products including flavored hookah tobacco.

Additional information about California’s flavored tobacco products ban is available from the California Department of Public Health and the the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.

Pursuant to Los Angeles County Code §7.83 (Tobacco Shops), all tobacco shops and smokers' lounges operating in unincorporated Los Angeles County are required to post certain permenat signage. The required signage is available for download below. Tobacco Shops include, but are not limited to smoke shops, vape shops, hookah lounges and cigar lounges.

Tobacco Shop (required signage):

• No one under the age of 21 is allowed on these premises (PDF)
• No consumption of food, beverages, or alcohol is allowed on these premises (PDF)
• No use of tobacco, tobacco products, or tobacco paraphernalia is allowed on these premises (PDF)
• No loitering is allowed (PDF)

Smokers' Lounge (required signage):

• Consuming food or beverages, including alcohol, is prohibited in the Smokers' Lounge (PDF)
• Smoking is prohibited except in designated areas (PDF)

Please be advised, Tobacco Shops and Smokers' Lounges must obtain all required state and county tobacco licenses before they can legally sell tobacco products and tobacco paraphernalia in Unincorporated Los Angeles County. The three required tobacco licenses include: 1) a Tobacco Shop Business License issued by the LA County Treasurer and Tax Collector, 2) a Tobacco Retail License issued by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and 3) a California Cigarette and Tobacco Products Retailer License issued by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Please see the above post titled "Tobacco Retail License Required for All Tobacco Retailers Operating in Unincorporated Los Angeles County - Application and Additional Resources" for additional information.

For more information, please email the Department of Public Health at: tobacco1@ph.lacounty.gov, or call: (213) 351-7890.