On Tuesday, the Richmond City Council agreed to move forward with a plan that will reduce the number of smoke shops in the City of Richmond.
The item was approved in a 6-0 vote with vice mayor Robinson absent. The item will return on March 3, if approved, it would go into effect April 3. 2026. All retailers then have 120 days to comply.
Changes to the “Tobacco Retailer License” will establish a cap of 50 licenses that can be issued at any one time to protect against overconcentration, and to add operational prerequisites and enhanced regulations for enforcement of violations (including retailing without a tobacco retail license, sales to minors, and sales of illegal and hazardous substances), which shall aim to protect vulnerable demographics, streamline compliance standards, and enhance available enforcement tools.
Proposed Amendments include:
- Maintain Youth-Protection location buffers
- 1,000 ft from schools, parks and libraries
- 500 ft from other licensed retailers
- Establish 50-license citywide cap to prevent over concentration
- Expand prohibited products to align with State Law
- Require clerks to be 21+ for tobacco sales
- Clarify licensing, operating standards and inspections
- Strengthen enforcement, including nuisance abatement
- Grandfather existing retailers (no lapse in TRL and complaint operations)
This dates back to On May 21, 2024, when the City Council adopted Urgency Ordinance No. 05-24 N.S. extending the temporary moratorium to April 15, 2025, to provide staff sufficient time to study the issue and propose amendments to the Municipal Code.
During this study period, regulatory inspections were conducted at several tobacco retailers, which revealed that the issues relating to tobacco retailers were much broader and more serious than initially believed. Specifically, the inspections found that unlicensed tobacco retailing was only one of many violations, which also included the use of underage employees, the marketing and sale of unlawful cannabis, illicit drugs, and drug paraphernalia, and the stocking of large quantities of flavored tobacco products at multiple locations.
As such, on April 1, 2025, the City Council extended the moratorium for another one year until April 15, 2026 to provide additional time to study and develop viable solutions to address the myriad public health, welfare, and safety issues identified. Further, in July 2025, the City Council amended the moratorium to provide for a pathway for certain unlicensed tobacco retailers to obtain a City tobacco retailer license during the moratorium and ultimately come into compliance with City regulations.
During the meeting, staff presented STAKE Act Data:
- 2025 – 15.38% violation rate, other cities
- Other cities:
- 15% – El Sobrante
- 0% – Brentwood, El Cerrito, Oakley, Orinda, Pittsburg San Pablo
- Note – Antioch, Hercules Moraga had 1 sale and ranged from 5% to 50% depending on number of checks
- Note – Richmond ranked 3rd highest for sales to minors.
- 2024 – 20.0% violation rate
- 2022 – 23.8% violation rate
Documents:
- Staff Report: Click Here
- Draft Ordinance: Click Here
Related
- May 2025 – After Pushback, Brentwood Agrees to Tweak Tobacco Ordinance
- July 2023 – Concord City Council Updates Tobacco Retailer Ordinance
