Policy Provisions for a Tobacco Retailer License

Tobacco Retailer Licensing (TRL) is an effective and widely-used strategy for protecting families and children from the harms of tobacco use.

TRL policies can also help reduce tobacco-related health inequities by countering the tobacco industry’s predatory targeting of underserved communities.

ChangeLab Solutions created this fact sheet for government officials and tobacco control advocates who are looking to customize licensing ordinances in order address local public health concerns related to tobacco use. These additional policy provisions, or “plug-ins,” can restrict eligibility for licenses, include additional requirements for retailers, and delineate options for enforcement.

Our California Comprehensive Tobacco Retailer Licensing Model Ordinance contains the basic elements for an effective licensing ordinance that can be used to enforce federal, state, and local tobacco control laws. This policy provisions fact sheet describes plug-ins that can be included in a new TRL law or added to an existing law.