Permit guides › Chicago › CHI-TR-13
Tobacco Retail License: Chicago restaurant guide
Chicago BACP
What it is
A city license to sell cigarettes, vapes or other tobacco products.
When a restaurant needs it
Any sale of tobacco or vape products.
How to apply
Submit business information, get zoning approval, optionally request a pre-measurement for distance restrictions, complete the application, get fingerprinted and pay.
Documents you’ll need
- Business identification documents for your entity type
- Individual History Form for each controlling person who must be fingerprinted
- Fingerprints for all owners with a 25% or greater interest
- Financial Disclosure Form
- Bulk Sales Notification Form and sales contract (if buying an existing business)
- Power of Attorney (if represented by a lawyer)
- Zoning approval
Fee
$500 per location + $330 per cash register (optional $250 pre-measurement fee, credited to the license)
Processing time
Varies
Renewal
Annually
Who files
The owner applies; owners are fingerprinted personally.
Good to know
Sales to anyone under 21 are prohibited, and distance restrictions in MCC Chapter 4-64 can rule out some locations, so get the pre-measurement first.
Official source
Get your personalized Chicago permit plan
Build my free planAnswer a few questions about your space and get every permit in order, with a timeline, a cost range, walkthroughs, and every application filled in for you to sign with Open.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Guidance only, not legal advice.