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Changes to Livermore’s tobacco retailer laws are set to take effect next Wednesday, following the City Council’s adoption of an amended ordinance that aims to help authorities better enforce existing mandates.
The updates to the ordinance include compliance monitoring and inspection authority by city officials and the discretion to utilize administrative fines and penalties in an effort to address tobacco retailers who are violating the law and deter others from doing so.
The council adopted the amended ordinance at its March 11 meeting as part of its consent calendar.
The sale of and possession of flavored tobacco products or vaping products is illegal in Livermore but some retailers continue to offer them. Prior to the newly adopted ordinance, officials with the Livermore Police Department said they faced challenges enforcing tobacco retailer laws because state law requires that in order to make an arrest or issue a citation related to tobacco enforcement, an offense must be committed in an officer’s presence.
Now, law enforcement has the ability to conduct inspections and issue fines to violators. The potential fines for violating the ordinance would be no less than $250 and would not exceed $1,000, or possible revocation of their tobacco retailer license,
The ordinance also stipulates that a business’s refusal to allow an inspection would result in a civil fine or license revocation
Unlicensed tobacco retailers would be subject to criminal prosecution and seizure of tobacco products under the ordinance.
While April 10 marks the official effective date of the amended ordinance, LPD officials noted that they typically enforce when there is a complaint or issue that arises.