​Our Office of Youth Tobacco Enforcement professional team is dedicated to preventing the illegal sale of flavored tobacco products and ensuring that tobacco products are not sold to persons under 21 years of age. Compliance is accomplished by enforcing tobacco laws and regulations using comprehensive, evidence-based enforcement activities. ​

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.​

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:​ 

​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)

​​​​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.​