(a) Application. An Application for a Tobacco Sales permit shall be submitted in the name of the person(s) proposing to engage in the sale of Tobacco Products and shall be signed by each person or an authorized agent thereof. The Application shall be accompanied by the appropriate fees as described in Section 35 of the Business and Tax Regulations Code and such fees shall include any required inspections or other work performed by the Planning Department as required by the referral of the application. A separate Application is required for each location where Tobacco Sales are to be conducted. All Applications shall be submitted on a form supplied by the Department and shall contain the following information:
1. The name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number of the Applicant;
2. The Establishment name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number for each location for which a Tobacco Sales permit is sought;
3. Such other information as the Director deems appropriate, including the Applicant's type of business, and whether the Applicant has previously been issued a permit under this Article that is, or was at any time, suspended or revoked. No permit shall be issued if the Application is incomplete or inaccurate.
(b) Inspection by Director. Upon receipt of a completed Application and fees, the Director may inspect the location at which Tobacco Sales are to be permitted. The Director may also ask the Applicant to provide additional information that is reasonably related to the determination whether a permit may issue.
(c) Referral to the Planning Department. The Director will then refer Applications requiring inspection as to proximity to Schools and existing Establishments to the Planning Department. The Planning Department upon referral shall analyze the Application against the most recent data provided by the Department to determine whether the Applicant's location will comply with subsections (f)(3) and (f)(4) and whether the location qualifies as a Tobacco Shop.
(d) Issuance of Permit. If the Director is satisfied that the Applicant has met the requirements of this Article and that issuance of the permit will not violate any law, the Department shall issue the permit. An Establishment may not sell Tobacco Products until the permit is issued.
(e) Display of Permit. Each permittee shall display the permit prominently at each location where Tobacco Sales occur. No permit that has been suspended shall be displayed during the period of suspension. A permit that has been revoked is void and may not be displayed.
(f) Grounds for Denial.
(1) No new permit shall be issued if the Director finds that the Applicant is in violation of Health Code Article 19; Police Code Section 4600.3 (regulating the self-service merchandising of tobacco products), or the California Labor Code.
(2) No new permit shall be issued if the Applicant does not have a valid current Tobacco Retail Permit from the State Board of Equalization where the Applicant is required to have the State Board of Equalization permit except for businesses selling only electronic cigarettes.
(3) No new permit shall be issued if the Applicant will be within 500 feet of the nearest point of the property line of a School as measured by a straight line from the nearest point of the property line on which a School is located to the nearest point of the property line on which the Applicant's Establishment will be located.
(4) No new permit shall be issued if the Applicant will be located within 500 feet of the nearest point of the property line of an existing Establishment as measured by a straight line from the nearest point of the property line on which the Applicant's Establishment will be located to the nearest point of the property line of the existing Establishment.
(5) No new permit shall be issued in any supervisorial district that has 45 or more Establishments with Tobacco Sales permits.
(6) No new permit shall be issued to any Applicant whose main purpose is offering food or alcoholic beverages for sale for consumption on the premises, including Bars and Restaurants.
(7) No new permit shall be issued to any Applicant for operation of a Tobacco Shop.
(8) No new permit shall be issued for a location not previously occupied by a permitted Establishment.
(Added as Sec. 1009.53 by Ord. 254-03, File No. 030869, App. 11/7/2003; amended by Ord. 194-08, File No. 080594, App. 8/7/2008; redesignated and amended by Ord. 259-14
, File No. 141098, App. 12/19/2014, Eff. 1/18/2015)