Fremont’s Tobacco Retail License Program Now In Effect

From the City of Fremont:

Posted on December 16, 2019

In October, the Fremont City Council voted unanimously to establish a Tobacco Retail License program for Fremont, joining over 150 California municipalities with similar programs. This program was implemented to ensure that retailers comply with tobacco control laws to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the Fremont community and to limit youth access to tobacco products.

As part of the program, a new City ordinance became effective November 8, 2019 and includes the following requirements:

• Any retailer who sells tobacco products needs to acquire an annual no-cost Tobacco Retail License from the City.
• Flavored tobacco products are banned in Fremont. These products can include, but are not limited to, flavored: cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, little cigars, Swishers, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, snuff, hookah, e-cigarette cartridges, e-juice, JUUL pods, and other flavored components for vaporizers.
• Cigarettes must be sold in packs of 20, at a minimum price of $8.
• Cigars (this includes cigarillos/little cigars) must be sold in packs of 5, at a minimum price of $8.
• Single cigars already sold at $5 are permitted.

All state-licensed tobacco retailers in Fremont were notified of the new program by mail, and the City also conducted in-person workshops to help answer any questions. In addition, a comprehensive FAQs document has been created to provide additional details about the new program.

View the FAQs document and learn more about the Tobacco Retail License program.

This press release was produced by the City of Fremont. The views expressed here are the author’s own.