Skip Navigation LinksOfficeofYouthTobaccoEnforcement

Top Menu
Left Menu

office of youth tobacco enforcement

 Contact

Main Telephone:
(916) 650-6522

​Email:
OYTE@cdph.ca.gov

Address (Courier Delivery):

California Department of Public Health - Office of Youth Tobacco Enforcement

1500 Capitol Ave, MS 7606
Sacramento, CA 95814

 Address (Non-Courier Delivery):

California Department of Public Health - Office of Youth Tobacco Enforcement

P.O. Box 997435, MS 7606​
Sacramento, CA 95899​

 Vision
​We envision a future in which the public health and well-being of Californians are protected through effective tobacco law enforcement.

 Mission

The Office of Youth Tobacco Enforcement is dedicated to preventing the illegal sale of flavored tobacco products in California and ensuring no tobacco products are sold to persons under 21 years of age. Compliance is accomplished by enforcing tobacco laws and regulations using comprehensive, evidence-based enforcement activities. ​


The Office of Youth Tobacco Enforcement (OYTE) has a mandate to enforce:

Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Enforcement (STAKE) Act​​​​​​

The STAKE Act prohibits furnishing tobacco products to individuals under the age of 21, authorizes the assessment of civil penalties to retail owners for violations, and requires tobacco retailers to post a 1-800 complaint sign. OYTE enforces the STAKE Act by: 

  • Conducting random, onsite undercover inspections at retail stores utilizing the assistance of decoys under 21 years of age in conducting the enforcement.
  • ​Verifying that clerks check the identification of individuals who appear under the age of 21 before completing a tobacco sale.
  • ​Ensuring that retailers prominently display the 1-800-STAKE sign.​
  • Assessing civil penalties against store owners for violations of the STAKE Act.

​​​​Flavored Tobacco Ban

​​​This law prohibits the retail sale of most flavored tobacco products​. OYTE enforces California Health and Safety Code 104559.5 that applies to tobacco products with a characterizing flavor, as specified in H&S Code 104559.5(b)(2). OYTE enforces the Flavored Tobacco Ban by:

  • ​Conducting random onsite undercover investigations at tobacco retailers. Investigating public complaints about non-compliant retailers and monitoring those with past violations.
  • Assessing civil penalties against store owners for violations of Health and Safety Code 104559.5 (b)(1).​

Attention: ​​

New Updates to California's Flavored Tobacco Laws

Effective January 1, 2025, Assembly Bill (AB) 3218 (Wood, Chapter 849, Statutes of 2024) and Senate (SB) 1230 (Rubio, Chapter 462, Statutes of 2024) strengthen California's flavored tobacco laws, SB 793 & AB 935, by:

  • requiring the California Attorney General to create an Unflavored Tobacco List (UTL) of unflavored products legal for sale in California

  • prohibiting online and delivery sales of illegal flavored tobacco products

  • requiring tobacco sellers and deliverers to comply with all state and local tobacco laws that apply to local retailers where the products are shipped

  • allowing the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) and other enforcing agencies to seize illegal flavored tobacco products found during inspections

  • updating the definition of “characterizing flavor" to include products that produce a cooling sensation

  • updating the definition of “nicotine" to include nicotine analogs  

  • increasing penalties for noncompliant retailers

  • updating penalties for retailers selling to minors.

​Any covered tobacco product not appearing on the California Department of Justice's Unflavored Tobacco List is deemed a flavored tobacco product and is prohibited for sale in California. This applies to retailers, including online and delivery sellers, wholesalers and distributors. ​

For more information, please visit the California Tobacco Control Branch's Notice to Retailers​.


 Reporting Illegal Tobacco Sales

Report an Unlawful Tobacco Sale Sign 

To report a retailer suspected of selling tobacco products to anyone under 21 years of age or to report a retailer suspected of selling flavored tobacco products, please call, 1-800-5-ASK-4-ID (800-527-5443) or email us at OYTE@cdph.ca.gov.

For any questions, please contact us using the information on the upper left or email us at the following address: OYTE@cdph.ca.gov

​​The federal minimum age of sale for tobacco products is now 21 with no exemption for military personnel.​

 UPDATE

The CA Legislature recently passed Senate Bill 1230, which increased existing penalties for retailers who sell tobacco products to a person under 21 years of age and for retailers that violate the flavored tobacco sales ban.​

As of January 1, 2025, the civil penalties for both the STAKE Act violations and the Flavored Tobacco Ban violations increased as follows:​ 


​ ​BPC §​ 22958 (a)(1): Civil Penalties​

​1st Violation
​$1,000 to $1,500
​
​2nd Violation
​$2,000 to $3,000
​Within a 5-year period
​3rd Violation
​$5,000 to $10,000
​Within a 5-year period
​4th Violation
​$10,000 to $20,000
​Within a 5-year period
​5th Violation
​$20,000 or more
​Within a 5-year period

 Paying Tobacco Violations

​If your retail store has received a penalty for a tobacco violation, you can pay your civil penalty using one of the following methods:

Online Payment: Click the link below to access our secure payment portal:

STAKE Act Payments ​

(Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your payment)

*Please access the payment portal using Chrome for the best experience. The portal may not function correctly in Microsoft Edge.​​

​​​​Check Payment: ​Make check payable to: 

California Department of Public Health

Office of Youth Tobacco Enforcement

Attn: Cashier
P.O. Box 997435
Sacramento, CA 95899-7435​​

When submitting your payment for a STAKE Act violation, please ensure that your case number includes the letter “I” as part of the reference (e.g., I25-12345).

Omitting or incorrectly entering the case number may delay the processing of your payment. If paying by check, please ensure the case number is included on the check.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact our support team at (916) 650-6522.​

 Laws and Regulations

 Public Health Impact

 Reports

 Resources for Retailers

 Tobacco Partners
Page Last Updated :