Cleveland City Council Cracks Down on Smoke Shops with Sweeping New Regulations

Jul 04, 2025

Cleveland City Council has unanimously passed a comprehensive set of four laws aimed at curbing the proliferation of smoke shops and enhancing oversight of tobacco sales across the city. Approved during the April 14th Council meeting, the legislation marks the most significant update to Cleveland’s tobacco and smoke shop regulations in nearly a decade.

Licensing Requirement for All Retailers

A cornerstone of the legislative package is the creation of the “Cleveland Tobacco Retail Licensing Regulation” (Ordinance 187-2025), which mandates that every retailer selling tobacco products must obtain a separate annual license for each location. The license—expected to cost between $300 to $500 per store—will go into effect starting this October. Retailers will also be required to undergo health department inspections. Repeat violations, including selling products like kratom, Delta-8, or vapes to individuals under 21, could result in fines of up to $1,000, and a fourth failed inspection within 18 months could lead to permanent license revocation.
This move aligns Cleveland’s policy with broader statewide public health efforts and follows a similar regulatory path already established in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Detroit.

Tougher Zoning Restrictions on Smoke Shops

Council also passed sweeping zoning reforms for smoke shops, now defined as any retail store where 20% or more of its floor space is devoted to tobacco products. Effective immediately, these establishments must be at least two miles apart, cannot co-locate within the same building, and must maintain a minimum 500-foot distance from sensitive locations such as schools, parks, playgrounds, libraries, and churches.

These changes are intended to address community concerns about oversaturation in neighborhoods such as Clark-Fulton and Old Brooklyn, where smoke shops have proliferated with little oversight.

Limitations on Window Signage

To further reduce the visual impact of tobacco advertising, legislation was passed that places a firm cap on storefront signage. Under the new law, advertisements and promotional signage may not exceed 25% of any window’s surface area. This measure, also effective immediately, aims to reduce youth exposure to tobacco marketing and create a cleaner commercial appearance citywide.

A Coordinated Policy Overhaul

The first law in the package updates Cleveland’s general tobacco ordinance to bring it into compliance with current Ohio state law, modernizing definitions and enforcement mechanisms that had not been addressed since Cleveland raised the legal age to purchase tobacco to 21 in 2016.

Councilmembers emphasized that these measures represent a shift toward proactive, public health-focused regulation.