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BTLG Table of Contents > Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act > Chapter 4 > entire chapter

Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act

Business and Professions Code

Division 8.6. Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act of 2003

Chapter 4. License and Administration Fee for Manufacturers and Importers

22979. Cigarette manufacturer and importer license; eligibility. (a) Every manufacturer and every importer shall obtain and maintain a license to engage in the sale of cigarettes. In order to be eligible for obtaining and maintaining a license under this division, a manufacturer or importer shall do all of the following in the manner specified by the board:

(1) Submit to the board a list of all brand families that they manufacture or import.

(2) Update the list of all brand families that they manufacture or import whenever a new or additional brand is manufactured or imported, or a listed brand is no longer manufactured or imported.

(3) Consent to jurisdiction of the California courts for the purpose of enforcement of this division, Sections 104555 to 104557, inclusive, of the Health and Safety Code, Section 30165.1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, and appoint a registered agent for service of process in this state and identify the registered agent to the board and the Attorney General.

(4) Waive any sovereign immunity defense that may apply to any enforcement action brought by the Attorney General or the board to enforce this division, Sections 104555 to 104557, inclusive, of the Health and Safety Code, or Part 13 (commencing with Section 30001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, and regulations adopted thereto. Any waiver shall be express and in writing, in a form and manner acceptable to the Attorney General. In lieu of this waiver, a manufacturer or importer may file with the Attorney General a surety bond in a form and manner directed by the Attorney General, written in favor of the State of California and conditioned on the performance by the manufacturer or importer of all its duties and obligations under this division, Sections 104555 to 104557, inclusive, of the Health and Safety Code, Part 13 (commencing with Section 30001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, and regulations adopted thereto. The bond shall be posted by a corporate surety located within the United States in an amount equal to the greater of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) or the amount of escrow the manufacturer or importer in either its current or predecessor form was required to deposit as a result of the largest of its most recent five calendar years' sales in California. The bond may be drawn upon by the Attorney General to cover unsatisfied escrow obligations, tax obligations, claims for penalties, claims for monetary damages, and any other liabilities that are subject to the licensee's claim of sovereign immunity against enforcement of the laws specified above. In the event a nonparticipating manufacturer is required to post a surety bond under this paragraph, the amount of the bond shall be reduced by the amount of any surety bond that is in force and required of that nonparticipating manufacturer under paragraph (5) of subdivision (c) of Section 30165.1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. A manufacturer or importer that has neither waived any sovereign immunity defense nor posted a surety bond as provided in this section shall not be eligible to obtain and maintain a license under this division..

(b) In order to be eligible for obtaining and maintaining a license under this division, a manufacturer or importer that is a "tobacco product manufacturer" in subdivision (i) of Section 104556 of the Health and Safety Code, shall do all of the following in the manner specified by the board:

(1) Certify to the board that it is a "participating manufacturer" as defined in subsection II(jj) of the "Master Settlement Agreement" (MSA), or is in full compliance with paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 104557 of the Health and Safety Code, Section 30165.1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, and regulations adopted pursuant thereto. Any person who makes a certification pursuant to this subdivision that asserts the truth of any material matter that he or she knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment of up to one year in the county jail, or a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both the imprisonment and the fine.

(2) Submit to the board a list of all brand families that fit under the category applicable to the manufacturer or importer, in accordance with the following:

(A) Brand families that are to be counted, in the unit volume and market shares determined pursuant to subsections II(z) and II(mm) of the MSA and Exhibit E thereto, in calculating the manufacturer's annual payments under the MSA.

(B) Brand families that are to be counted in calculating the manufacturer's escrow deposits under paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 104557 of the Health and Safety Code.

(C) The manufacturer or importer shall update the list whenever a new or additional brand is manufactured or imported or a listed brand is no longer manufactured or imported.

(c) The board may not grant or permit the maintenance of a license to any manufacturer or an importer of cigarettes that does not affirmatively certify, both at the time the license is granted and annually thereafter, compliance with paragraph (4) of subdivision (a), that all packages of cigarettes manufactured or imported by that person and distributed in California fully comply with subdivision (b) of Section 30163 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, and that the cigarettes contained in those packages are the subject of filed reports that fully comply with all requirements of the federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act (15 U.S.C. Sec. 1331 et seq.) for the reporting of ingredients added to cigarettes. For purposes of the federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act requirement, cigars weighing three pounds or less per 1,000 are excluded from the definition of cigarette.

(d) A license issued to a manufacturer or an importer under this division is only valid with respect to the manufacturer or importer designated on the license and may not be transferred or assigned to another manufacturer or importer.

(e) Any manufacturer or importer that is issued a license under this division that does not commence business in the manner specified or designated in the license, ceases to do business in the manner specified or designated in the license, or is notified that the license is suspended or revoked, shall immediately surrender that license to the board.

(f) (1) Any manufacturer or any importer who is denied a license may petition for a redetermination of the board's denial of the license within 30 days after service upon that manufacturer or that importer of the notice of the denial of the license. If a petition for redetermination is not filed within the 30-day period, the determination of denial becomes final at the expiration of the 30-day period.

(2) Every petition for redetermination shall be in writing and shall state the specific grounds upon which the petition is founded. The petition may be amended to state additional grounds at anytime prior to the date on which the board issues its order or decision upon the petition for redetermination.

(3) If the petition for redetermination is filed within the 30-day period, the board shall reconsider the determination of the denial and, if the manufacturer or the importer has so requested in the petition, shall grant an oral hearing and shall give the manufacturer or the importer at least 10 days' notice of the time and place of the hearing. The board may continue the hearing from time to time as may be necessary.

(4) The order or decision of the board upon a petition for redetermination becomes final 30 days after mailing of notice thereof.

History—Stats. 2004, Ch. 82 (AB 2491), in effect June 30, 2004, substituted "1331" for "13355a" after "Advertising Act (15 U.S.C. Sec." in the first sentence and added the second sentence to subdivision (c); and added subdivisions (d) and (e); and relettered former subdivision (d) as (f). Stats. 2010, Ch. 607 (AB 2733), in effect January 1, 2011, substituted "Every" for "Commencing on January 1, 2004, every" before "manufacturer and ever importer" and deleted ", as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 22971," after "and every importer", added ", Sections 104555 to 10455, inclusive, of the Health and Safety Code, Section 30165.1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, and regulations adopted pursuant thereto," after "enforcement of this division" in paragraph (3), and added paragraph (4), to subdivision (a); added ", Section 30165.1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, and regulations adopted pursuant thereto" after "Health and Safety Code" in the first sentence of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b); added "compliance with paragraph (4) of subdivision (a)" after "annually thereafter," and substituted "California" for "this state" after "and distributed in" in subdivision (c); and deleted paragraph (5) of subdivision (f), which stated "Any notice required by this subdivision shall be served personally or by mail. If by mail, the notice shall be placed in a sealed envelope, with postage paid, addressed to the manufacturer or the importer at the address as it appears in the records of the board. The giving of notice shall be deemed complete at the time of deposit of the notice in the United States Post Office, or a mailbox, subpost office, substation or mail chute or other facility regularly maintained or provided by the United States Postal Service, without extension of time for any reason. In lieu of mailing, a notice may be served personally by delivering to the person to be served and service shall be deemed complete at the time of the delivery. Personal service to a corporation may be made by delivery of a notice to any person designated in the Code of Civil Procedure to be served for the corporation with summons and complaint in a civil action."

22979.1. Application for cigarette manufacturer and importer license. (a) An application for a license by a manufacturer or by an importer shall be on a form prescribed by the board and shall include the following:

(1) The name, address, and telephone number of the applicant. The business name, address, and telephone number of the corporate offices. Citations issued to licensees shall be forwarded to all addressees on the license.

(2) License number for any other valid licenses or permits issued by the board.

(3) Signature of the applicant under oath to verify application information.

(4) The name, address, and telephone number of the person designated by the manufacturer or the importer as its agent for receipt of service of process in this state.

(5) Any other information the board may require.

(b) The board may conduct an inquiry to determine whether the applicant complies with the provisions of this division.

(c) The board shall provide electronic means for applicants to download and submit applications.

22979.2. Administration fee; cigarette manufacturer and importer. (a) On or before January 1, 2004, every manufacturer and every importer shall pay to the board an administration fee. The amount of the administration fee shall be one cent ($0.01) per package of cigarettes (1) manufactured or imported by the manufacturer or the importer and (2) shipped into this state during the 2001 calendar year as reported to the board. The board shall notify each manufacturer and each importer of the amount due under this section.

(b) This section shall apply to every manufacturer and every importer required to be licensed pursuant to Section 22979. All manufacturers and all importers that may become eligible for licensure on or after December 1, 2003, shall be notified by the board of the appropriate fee due and shall pay that fee within 90 days of notification.

(c) All manufacturers and all importers that begin operations in the state after enactment of this division shall be charged a fee commensurate with their respective market share of (1) cigarettes manufactured or imported by the manufacturer or the importer and (2) sold in this state during the next calendar year as estimated by the board. The fee shall be at an amount not less than that paid pursuant to subdivision (a) by the smallest manufacturer, but may not be more than that paid by the eighth largest manufacturer.

(d) The board shall administer this fee in accordance with the Fee Collection Procedures Law, Part 30 (commencing with Section 55001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

History—Stats. 2005, Ch. 512 (AB 892), in effect January 1, 2006, added "or the importer" after "manufactured or imported by the manufacturer" in subdivision (c).

22979.21. Tobacco products manufacturer and importer license; eligibility. Every manufacturer or importer of tobacco products shall obtain and maintain a license under this division to engage in the sale of tobacco products. In order to be eligible for obtaining and maintaining a license under this division, a manufacturer or importer shall do all of the following in the manner specified by the board:

(a) Submit to the board a list of all tobacco products they manufacture or import.

(b) Update the list of all tobacco products brands they manufacture or import whenever a new or additional brand is manufactured or imported or a listed brand is no longer manufactured or imported.

(c) Consent to jurisdiction of the California courts for the purpose of enforcement of this division and appoint a registered agent for service of process in this state and identify the registered agent to the board.

(d) The Legislature finds that solely appointing a registered agent for the purpose of service of process in this state pursuant to this subdivision does not establish a nexus with this state for tax purposes.

(e) This section shall become operative May 1, 2007.

History—Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 501 (AB 1749), in effect January 1, 2007, but operative May 1, 2007.

22979.22. Application for tobacco products manufacturer and importer license. (a) An application for a license by a manufacturer or by an importer of tobacco products shall be on a form prescribed by the board and shall include the following:

(1) The name, address, and telephone number of the applicant. For applicants whose corporate offices are at a separate location, the business name, address, and telephone number of the corporate office. Citations issued to licensees shall be forwarded to all addressees on the license.

(2) If any other licenses have been issued by the board to the applicant, the license or permit numbers for each license or permit then in effect.

(3) A statement by the applicant affirming that the applicant has not been convicted of a felony and has not violated and will not violate or cause or permit to be violated any of the provisions of this division or any rule of the board applicable to the applicant or pertaining to the manufacture, sale, or distribution of cigarettes or tobacco products. If the applicant is unable to affirm this statement, the application shall contain a statement by the applicant of the nature of any violation or the reasons that will prevent the applicant from complying with the requirements with respect to the statement.

(4) A statement by the applicant that the contents of the application are complete, true, and correct. Any person who signs a statement pursuant to this subdivision that asserts the truth of any material matter that he or she knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment of up to one year in the county jail, or a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both imprisonment and fine.

(5) Signature of the applicant.

(6) The name, address, and telephone number of the person designated by the manufacturer or the importer as its agent for receipt of service of process in this state.

(7) Any other information the board may require.

(b) The board may investigate to determine the truthfulness and completeness of the information provided in the application.

(c) The board shall provide electronic means for applicants to download and submit applications.

History—Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 501 (AB 1749), in effect January 1, 2007, but operative May 1, 2007.

22979.23. License fee; tobacco products manufacturer and importer. (a) Every manufacturer or importer of chewing tobacco or snuff shall submit with each application a one-time license fee of ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

(b) Every manufacturer or importer of tobacco products, excluding chewing tobacco or snuff, shall submit with each application a one-time license fee of two thousand dollars ($2,000).

(c) If a manufacturer or importer is required to submit an application under, and to pay the fees required by, both subdivisions (a) and (b), the total amount of fees required to be submitted under this section shall not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

History—Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 501 (AB 1749), in effect January 1, 2007, but operative May 1, 2007.

22979.24. Tobacco products manufacturer and importer report. (a) Every manufacturer or importer holding a license pursuant to Section 22979.21 shall file, using electronic media in a manner specified by the department, a monthly report to the department. The monthly report shall include, but is not limited to, the following:

(1) A list of all distributors licensed pursuant to Section 22975 to which the manufacturer or importer shipped its tobacco products or caused its tobacco products to be shipped.

(2) The total wholesale cost of the products.

(b) The department may suspend the license or revoke the license, pursuant to the provisions applicable to the revocation of a license set forth in Section 30148 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, of any importer or any manufacturer that has failed to comply with the requirements of this section.

(c) All information and records provided to the department pursuant to subdivision (a) are confidential in nature and shall not be disclosed by the department. Information required under subdivision (a) are not public records under the California Public Records Act, as described in Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code and shall not be open to public inspection.

(d) The amendments made to this section by the act adding this subdivision shall become operative May 1, 2007.

History—Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 501 (AB 1749), in effect January 1, 2007, but operative May 1, 2007. Stats. 2021, Ch. 432 (SB 824), in effect January 1, 2022, substituted ", using electronic media" for "a monthly report to the board," after "Section 22979.21 shall file" and substituted "department, a monthly report to the department" for "board, which may…electronic media" after "in a manner specified by the" in the first sentence of subdivision (a); and substituted "department" for "board" throughout. Stats. 2022, Ch. 28 (SB 1380), substituted "Division 10" for "Chapter 3.5" after "as described in" and substituted "7920.000)" for "6250) of Division 7" after "commencing with Section" in the second sentence of subdivision (c).

Note.—SEC. 24 of Stats. 2006, Ch. 501 (AB 1749), in effect January 1, 2007, states: The Legislature finds and declares that Section 7 of this act, which amends Section 22979.24 of the Business and Professions Code, imposes a limitation on the public's right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies within the meaning of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution. Pursuant to that constitutional provision, the Legislature makes the following findings to demonstrate the interest protected by this limitation and the need for protecting that interest:

In order to allow for the State Board of Equalization to fully accomplish its goals, it is imperative to protect the interests of those persons submitting information to the board to ensure that any business or trade secrets that are required to be submitted by those persons by this act be protected as confidential information.

22979.3. License database; access. The department shall, upon request, provide to the State Department of Public Health, the office of the Attorney General, a law enforcement agency, a local lead agency, and any agency authorized to enforce or administer state or local tobacco control laws, access to the department's database of licenses issued to manufacturers and importers for locations within the jurisdiction of that agency, local lead agency, or law enforcement agency. The agencies authorized by this section to access the department's database shall access and use the department’s database only for purposes of enforcing tobacco control laws and shall adhere to all state laws, policies, and regulations pertaining to the protection of personal information and individual privacy.

History—Stats. 2021, Ch. 432 (SB 824), in effect January 1, 2022, substituted "department" for "board" throughout; substituted "Public Health" for "Health Services" after "the State Department of"; added ", a local lead agency," after "a law enforcement agency"; added "or administer state or" after "authorized to enforce"; substituted "laws" for "ordinances" after "local tobacco control"; added ", local lead agency," after " jurisdiction of that agency" in the first sentence; and deleted "only" after "database shall"; and added "only" after "use the department’s database" in the second sentence.

22979.4. Purchase records. All importers shall retain purchase records that meet the requirements set forth in Section 22979.5 for all cigarettes or tobacco products purchased and other records required by the board. The records shall be maintained for a period of one year from the date of purchase on the importer's premises identified in the license, and thereafter, the records shall be made available for inspection by the board or a law enforcement agency for a period of four years. Any importer found in violation of these requirements, or any person who fails, refuses, or neglects to retain or make available invoices for inspection and copying in accordance with this section shall be subject to penalties pursuant to Section 22981.

History—Stats. 2004, Ch. 82 (AB 2491), in effect June 30, 2004, deleted "manufactuers and" after "All" in the first sentence, deleted "manufacturer's or" after "the date of purchase on the" in the second sentence, and deleted "manufacturer or" after "Any" in the third sentence.

22979.5. Sales records. (a) Each manufacturer and each importer of cigarette and tobacco products subject to licensing under this chapter shall maintain accurate and complete records relating to the sale of those products, including, but not limited to, receipts, invoices, and other records as may be required by the board, during the past four years with invoices for the past year to be maintained on the premises for which the license was issued, and shall make these records available upon request by a representative of the board or a law enforcement agency.

(b) Failure of a manufacturer or an importer to comply with this section shall be a misdemeanor subject to penalties pursuant to Section 22981.

22979.6. Invoice criteria. (a) Each manufacturer and each importer shall include the following information on each invoice for the sale for distribution, wholesale, or retail sale of cigarettes or tobacco products:

(1) The name, address, and telephone number of the manufacturer, or importer.

(2) The license number of the manufacturer or importer as provided by the board.

(3) The name, address, and license number of the person to whom cigarettes or tobacco products are sold.

(4) An itemized listing of the cigarettes or tobacco products sold.

(b) Each invoice for the sale of cigarettes or tobacco products shall be legible and readable.

(c) Failure to comply with the requirements of this section shall be a misdemeanor subject to penalties pursuant to Section 22981.

22979.7. Penalty for violation of provisions. In addition to any other civil or criminal penalty provided by law, upon a finding that a manufacturer or importer has violated any provision of this division, the board may take the following actions:

(a) In the case of the first offense, the board may revoke or suspend the license or licenses of the manufacturer or importer pursuant to the procedures applicable to the revocation of a license set forth in Section 30148 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

(b) In the case of a second or any subsequent offense, in addition to the action authorized under subdivision (a), the board may impose a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed the greater of either of the following:

(1) Five times the retail value of the seized cigarettes or tobacco products defined as cigarettes under this section.

(2) Five thousand dollars ($5,000).

History—Stats. 2005, Ch. 512 (AB 892), in effect January 1, 2006, added "seized" after "the retail value of the" in subdivision (b)(1).