Utah Tobacco Laws 
At-A-Glance
justice scales image

*Full Text Version of Select Utah Tobacco Laws
Minors
76-10-104. Furnishing cigars, cigarettes, or tobacco to minors-Penalties

(1) Any person who knowingly, intentionally, recklessly, or with criminal negligence provides any cigar, cigarette, or tobacco in any form, to any person under 19 years of age, is guilty of a class C misdemeanor on the first offense, a class B misdemeanor on the second offense, and a class A misdemeanor on subsequent offenses.
(2) For purposes of this section "provides":
  (a) includes selling, giving, sending or causing to be sent; and
  (b) does not include the acts of the United States Postal Service or other common carrier when engaged in the business of transporting and delivering packages for others or the acts of a person, whether compensated or not who transports or delivers a package for another person without any reason to know of the package's content.
     
76-10-105. Buying or possessing cigars, cigarettes, or tobacco by minors -- Penalty -- Compliance officer authority -- Juvenile court jurisdiction.
  
(1) Any 18 year old person who buys or attempts to buy, accepts, or has in his possession any cigar, cigarette, or tobacco in any form is guilty of a class C misdemeanor and subject to:
  (a) a minimum fine or penalty of $60; and
  (b) participation in a court-approved tobacco education program, which may include a participation fee.
(2) Any person under the age of 18 who buys or attempts to buy, accepts, or has in his possession any cigar, cigarette, or tobacco in any form is subject to the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court and:
  (a) a minimum fine or penalty of $60; and
  (b) participation in a court-approved tobacco education program, which may include a participation fee.
(3) A compliance officer appointed by a board of education under Section 53A-3-402 may issue citations for violations of this section committed on school property. Cited violations shall be reported to the appropriate juvenile court.

26-42-101 to 107 Civil penalties for tobacco sales to underage persons
    
26-42-101. Title.
This chapter is known as "Civil Penalties for Tobacco Sales to Underage Persons."
26-42-102. Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
(1) "Commission" means the Utah State Tax Commission.
(2) "Employee" means an employee of a licensee
(3) "Enforcing agency" means the state Department of Health, or any local
health department enforcing the provisions of this chapter
(4) "Licensee" means a person licensed:
  (a) under Section 59-14-201 to sell cigarettes at retail; or
  (b) under Section 59-14-301 to sell tobacco products at retail.
(5) "License to sell tobacco" or "license" means a license issued:
  (a) under Section 59-14-201 to sell cigarettes at retail; or
  (b) under Section 59-14-301 to sell tobacco products at retail.
(6) "Tobacco" means cigarettes or tobacco products as defined in Section
59-14-102.
26-42-103. Violations and penalties -- Imposition by enforcing agency
and tax commission.
(1) If, following an investigation or issuance of a citation or information
under Section 77-39-101, an enforcing agency determines under Section
26-42-104 that a licensee or any employee has sold tobacco to a person
younger than 19 years of age, as prohibited by Section 76-10-104, the
enforcing agency may impose upon the licensee the following
administrative penalties:
  (a) upon the first violation, a penalty of not more than $300;
  (b) upon a second violation at the same retail location, and within
12 months of the first violation, a penalty of not more than $750; and
  (c)   upon a third or subsequent violation at the same retail location and
within 12 months of the first violation, a penalty of not more than
$1,000
(2) The enforcing agency shall notify the commission in writing of any order
or order of default finding a violation of Subsection (1) which is a third
or fourth violation.
(3) The commission, upon receipt of the written notification under
Subsection (2),shall take action under Section 59-14-203.5 or
59-14-301.5 against the license to sell tobacco:
  (a) by suspending the licensee's license to sell tobacco at that location
for not more than 30 days, upon receipt of notification of a third
violation under Subsection (1)(c); and
  (b) by revoking the license to sell tobacco at that location held by the
licensee, including any license under suspension, upon receipt of
notification of a fourth violation under Subsection (1)(c).
(4) When the commission revokes a license under Subsection (3)(b), the
commission may not issue to the licensee, or to the business entity using
the license that is revoked, a license under Section 59-14-201 or
59-14-301 to sell tobacco at the location for which the license was
issued for one year after the date of the violation for which the license
was revoked.
(5) This section does not prevent any bona fide purchaser of the business,
who is not a sole proprietor, director, corporate officer, or partner
or other holder of significant interest in the entity selling the business,
from immediately applying for and obtaining a license to sell tobacco.
26-42-104. Enforcement by state and local health departments.
The state Department of Health and the local health departments shall
enforce this chapter under the procedures of Title 63, Chapter 46b,
Administrative Procedures Act, as an informal adjudicative proceeding
including:
(1) notifying licensees of alleged violations of Section 26-42-103;
(2) conducting hearings;
(3) determining violations of this chapter; and
(4) imposing civil monetary administrative penalties
26-42-105. Hearing -- Evidence of criminal conviction.
(1) At a civil hearing conducted under Section 26-42-104, evidence of the
final criminal conviction of a licensee or employee for violation of
Section 76-10-104 at the same location and within the same time period
as the location and time period alleged in the civil hearing for violation
of Section 26-42-103 is prima facie evidence of a violation of Section
26-42-103.
(2) If the licensee has been convicted of violating Section 76-10-104 prior to
a finding of a violation of Section 26-42-103, the licensee may not be
assessed a monetary penalty under this chapter for the same offense for
which the conviction was obtained
26-42-106. Recognition of licensee's training program.
(1) In determining the amount of the monetary penalty to be imposed for
an employee's violation of Section 26-42-103, the hearing officer shall
reduce the penalty by at least 50% if he determines:
  (a) the licensee has implemented a documented employee training
program; and
  (b) the employee has completed that training program within 30 days of
commencing duties of selling tobacco products.
(2) (a) If the hearing officer determines under Subsection (1), regarding a
first offense at a location, that the licensee has not implemented a
documented training program with a written curriculum for
employees at that location regarding compliance with this chapter,
the hearing officer may suspend all or a portion of the monetary
penalty, contingent upon the licensee's initiating a training program
for employees at that location within 30 days after the hearing date.
  (b) If the hearing officer determines at a subsequent hearing that the
licensee has not implemented the training program within the time
period required under Subsection (2)(a), the suspended monetary
penalty shall be promptly imposed, unless the licensee demonstrates
good cause for granting an extension of time for implementation of
the training program.
26-42-107. Allocation of civil penalties.
Civil monetary penalties collected under this chapter shall be allocated as
follows:
(1) if a local health department conducts an adjudicative proceeding
under Section 26-42-104, the penalty shall be paid to the treasurer of
the county in which the violation was committed, and transferred to:
  (a) the local health department if it conducts a civil hearing under
Section 26-42-104 alone; or
  (b) in equal portions to the local health department and the other
agencies that participated in the hearing process;
(2) if the state Department of Health conducts a civil hearing under Section
26-42-104, the penalty shall be deposited in the state's General Fund,
and may be appropriated by the Legislature to the state Department of
Health for use in enforcement of this chapter; and
(3) if the civil penalty involves suspension or revocation of a license to sell
tobacco under Section 59-14-203.5 or 59-14-301.5, half of the penalty
shall be paid to the commission, and the other half shall be allocated
under Subsection (1) or (2), as appropriate.
 
 
59-14-201.
59-14-201. License -- Fee -- Bond -- Exceptions.
(1) It is unlawful for any person in this state to manufacture, import, distribute, barter, sell, exchange, or offer cigarettes for sale without first having obtained a license issued by the commission under Section 59-14-202.
(2) (a) A license may not be issued for the sale of cigarettes until the applicant has paid a license fee of $30 or a license renewal fee of $20, as appropriate.
  (b) The fee for reinstatement of a license that has been revoked, suspended, or allowed to expire is $30.
(3) (a) A license may not be issued until the applicant files a bond with the commission. The commission shall determine the form and the amount of the bond, the minimum amount of which shall be $500. The bond shall be executed by the applicant as principal, with a corporate surety, payable to the state and conditioned upon the faithful performance of all the requirements of this chapter, including the payment of all taxes, penalties, and other obligations.
  (b) Applicants are not required to post a bond who:
    (i) purchase during the license year only products which have the proper state stamp affixed as required by this chapter; and
    (ii) file an affidavit with their application attesting to this fact.


76-10-103. Permitting minors to use tobacco in place of business.
It is a class C misdemeanor for the proprietor of any place of business to
knowingly permit persons under age nineteen to frequent a place of business
while they are using tobacco.

76-10-105.1.   
Requirement of direct, face-to-face sale of tobacco products.
(1) As used in this section:
  (a) (i) "Cigarette" means any product which contains nicotine, is intended to be burned under ordinary conditions of use, and consists of:
      (A) any roll of tobacco wrapped in paper or in any substance not
containing tobacco; or
      (B) any roll of tobacco wrapped in any substance containing tobacco
which, because of its appearance, the type of tobacco used in the
filler, or its packaging and labeling, is likely to be offered to, or
purchased by, consumers as a cigarette described in Subsection
(1)(a)(i).
    (ii) "Cigarette" does not include a standard 60 carton case.
  (b) "Cigarette tobacco" means any product that consists of loose tobacco
that contains or delivers nicotine and is intended for use by consumers
in a cigarette. Unless otherwise stated, the requirements pertaining to
cigarettes shall also apply to cigarette tobacco.
  (c) "Retailer" means any person who sells cigarettes or smokeless tobacco
to individuals for personal consumption or who operates a facility
where vending machines or self-service displays are permitted under
this section.
  (d) "Self-service display" means any display of cigarettes or smokeless
tobacco products to which the public has access without the
intervention of a retail employee.
  (e) "Smokeless tobacco" means any product that consists of cut, ground,
powdered, or leaf tobacco that contains nicotine and that is intended
to be placed in the oral cavity. "Smokeless tobacco" does not include
multi-container packs of smokeless tobacco.
(2) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (3), a retailer may sell cigarettes and
smokeless tobacco only in a direct, face-to-face exchange between the
retailer and the consumer. Examples of methods that are not permitted
include vending machines and self-service displays.
  (b) Subsection (2)(a) does not prohibit the use or display of locked
cabinets containing cigarettes or smokeless tobacco if the locked
cabinets are only accessible to the retailer or its employees.
(3) The following sales are permitted as exceptions to Subsection (2):
  (a) mail-order sales, excluding mail-order redemption of coupons and
distribution of free samples through the mail; and
  (b) vending machines, including vending machines that sell packaged,
single cigarettes, and self-service displays that are located in a
separate and defined area within a facility where the retailer ensures
that no person younger than under 19 years of age is present, or
permitted to enter, at any time, unless accompanied by a parent
or legal guardian.
      (4) Any ordinance, regulation, or rule adopted by the governing body of a
political subdivision or state agency that affects the sale, placement, or
display of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco that is not essentially identical
to the provisions of this section and Section 76-10-102 is superceded.
(5) A parent or legal guardian who accompanies a person younger than 19 years of age into an area described in Subsection (3)(b) and permits the person younger than 19 years of age to purchase or otherwise take a cigar,
cigarette, or tobacco in any form is guilty of furnishing tobacco as
provided for in Section 76-10-104 and the penalties provided for in that
section.
(6) Violation of Subsection (2) or (3) is a:
  (a) class C misdemeanor on the first offense;
  (b) class B misdemeanor on the second offense; and
  (c) class A misdemeanor on the third and all subsequent offenses.

    
Advertising/ Distribution
76-10-102.   
Cigarettes and tobacco -- Advertising restrictions -- Warnings
in smokeless tobacco advertisements.
(1) It is a class B misdemeanor for any person to display on any billboard,
streetcar sign, streetcar, bus, placard, or on any other object or place
of display, any advertisement of cigarettes, cigarette papers, cigars,
chewing tobacco, or smoking tobacco or any disguise or substitute of
either, except that a dealer in cigarettes, cigarette papers, tobacco or
cigars, or their substitutes, may have a sign on the front of his place of
business stating that he is a dealer in the articles; provided that nothing
herein shall be construed to prohibit the advertising of cigarettes, cigarette
papers, chewing tobacco or smoking tobacco, or any substitute of either,
in any newspaper, magazine or periodical printed or circulating in
this state.
(2)
Any advertisement for smokeless tobacco placed in a newspaper,
magazine, or periodical published in this state must bear a warning which
states: "Use of smokeless tobacco may cause oral cancer and other
mouth disorders and is addictive." This warning must be in a conspicuous
location and in conspicuous and legible type, in contrast with the
typography, layout, and color of all other printed material in the
advertisement. For purposes of this subsection, "smokeless tobacco"
means any finely cut, ground, powdered, or leaf tobacco that is intended
to be placed in the oral cavity or nasal passage. In the event the United
States Congress passes legislation which requires warnings in
advertisements of smokeless tobacco, the specific language required
to be placed in advertisements by that legislation shall take precedence
over this subsection.

76-10-105.3. Prohibition of sale or gift of clove cigarettes.
It is unlawful for any person to knowingly sell, offer for sale, give or furnish
any clove cigarette in this state. For purposes of this section "clove cigarette"
means any cigarette which contains more than 10%, by weight, of raw
eugenia caryophyllata or caryophyllus, commonly known as clove. Any
person who violates this section is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.

76-10-111.
Prohibition of gift or free distribution of smokeless tobacco --
Exceptions
.
(1)
The Legislature finds that smokeless tobacco, or chewing tobacco,
is harmful to the health of individuals who use those products because
research indicates that they may cause mouth or oral cancers; that the
use of smokeless tobacco among juveniles in this state is increasing
rapidly; and that it is necessary to restrict the gift of these products in
the interest of the health of the citizens of this state.
(2) Except as provided in Subsection (3), it is unlawful for a manufacturer,
wholesaler, and retailer to give or distribute without charge any smokeless
tobacco or chewing tobacco in this state. Any person who violates this
section is guilty of a class C misdemeanor for the first offense, and is
guilty of a class B misdemeanor for any subsequent offense.
(3) (a) Smokeless tobacco or chewing tobacco may be distributed to adults
without charge at professional conventions where the general public
is excluded.
  (b) Subsection (2) does not apply to retailers, manufacturers, or
distributors who give smokeless tobacco or chewing tobacco
to persons of legal age upon their purchase of other tobacco
products.

 

76-10-112
Prohibition of distribution of cigarettes or other tobacco
products -- Exceptions.
(1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), it is unlawful for a manufacturer,
wholesaler, or retailer to give or distribute cigarettes or other
tobacco products in this state without charge. Any person who
violates this subsection is guilty of a class C misdemeanor for the
first offense and a class B misdemeanor for any subsequent offense.
(2) Cigarettes and other tobacco products may be distributed to adults
without charge at professional conventions where the general public
is excluded.
(3) The prohibition described in Subsection (1) does not apply to retailers,
manufacturers, or distributors who give cigarettes or other tobacco
products to persons of legal age upon their purchase of cigarettes or
other tobacco products.

  
 

*  The text version of Utah Tobacco Laws At-A-Glance is provided for informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice. For a more definitive listing of laws consult the Utah Code.