Wrapped up in a package of legislation aimed at making cigarettes harder for those under 18-years-old to get is a new licensing requirement that will affect all tobacco retailers in unincorporated Sonoma County, Calif. by the middle of the summer. While the price has not yet been established, it is expected to be an annual fee of $350 per store for the first two years, as that is the amount being recommended by county officials, according to a report in the Press Democrat. After those first two years, the fee could be subject to an increase. The change affects an estimated 140 retailers, who will have to purchase the new license by July 1. Those licenses will only be transferrable to immediate family members in the event the store is sold. Fees generated from the new licensing requirement will be used to pay for undercover stings of tobacco shops who sell to minors. Any retailer who does sell to a minor will face a penalty of a 30-day suspension of their license, which could be reduced to five days if they plead guilty, as well as a $1,500 fine. A second violation would come with a $5,500 fine and a 60-day license suspension, which ...
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