September 22, 2020
Dear Tobacco Retail Stakeholders,
On March 23, 2020, HB20-1001 was signed into law. This legislation required that cigarettes and tobacco/nicotine products be sold only to persons who are 21 years of age or older, and all tobacco retailers shall check the identification of anyone under 50 years of age. The Department of Revenue’s Liquor Enforcement Division (LED) was given authorization to establish a tobacco retailer licensing program, conduct compliance check operations, and establish regulations for every tobacco/nicotine retailer to obtain a license by July 1, 2021.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many tobacco/nicotine retailers have closed or are struggling financially. After extensive analysis by the Executive Director’s Office, it has been decided that any tobacco license fee will be put on hold as a COVID-19 relief measure for our state tobacco/nicotine retailers who are struggling during this pandemic. The Division will continue to prepare and research in preparation for the establishment of the application, a licensing fee structure, and rulemaking and industry engagement when it is appropriate. In late spring of next year, we hope to have more details regarding the program’s status.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to LEDat dor_ledtobacco@state.co.us if you have any questions, issues, or comments regarding this matter.
Thank you,
Colorado Liquor Enforcement Division