Colo. Rev. Stat. § 44-7-103
Sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, or nicotine products to persons under twenty-one years of age or in vending machines prohibited - warning sign - small quantity sales prohibited - rules.
Effective Jul 14, 2020L. 2018: Entire article added with relocations, (SB 18-036), ch. 34, p. 373, § 2, effective October 1. L. 2020: (1), (2), and (3) amended and (4.5) added, (HB 20-1001), ch. 302, p. 1506, § 7, effective July 14.
- (1) A retailer shall not sell or permit the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, or nicotine products to a minor; except that it is not a violation if the retailer establishes that the person selling the cigarette, tobacco product, or nicotine product was presented with and reasonably relied upon a valid government-issued photographic identification, as determined by the executive director by rule, that identified the person purchasing the cigarette, tobacco product, or nicotine product as being twenty-one years of age or older. A retailer shall require an individual who seeks to purchase cigarettes, tobacco products, or nicotine products and who appears to be under fifty years of age to present to the retailer a valid government-issued photographic identification at the time of purchase.
- (2) A retailer shall not sell or offer to sell any cigarettes, tobacco products, or nicotine products by use of a vending machine or other coin-operated machine; except that cigarettes may be sold at retail through vending machines only in an age-restricted area of a licensed gaming establishment, as defined in section 44-30-103 (18).
(3) Any person who sells or offers to sell cigarettes, tobacco products, or nicotine products shall display a warning sign as specified in this subsection (3). The warning sign must be displayed in a prominent place in the building and on any vending or coin-operated machine at all times, must have a minimum height of three inches and a width of six inches, and must read as follows:
WARNING
IT IS ILLEGAL TO SELL CIGARETTES, TOBACCO PRODUCTS, OR NICOTINE PRODUCTS TO ANY PERSON UNDER TWENTY-ONE YEARS OF AGE. STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT, TO PURCHASE CIGARETTES, TOBACCO PRODUCTS, OR NICOTINE PRODUCTS AT THIS RETAIL LOCATION, A PERSON MUST PRESENT A VALID GOVERNMENT-ISSUED PHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE IF THE PERSON APPEARS TO BE UNDER FIFTY YEARS OF AGE.
- (4) No retailer shall sell or offer to sell individual cigarettes, or any pack or container of cigarettes containing fewer than twenty cigarettes, or roll-your-own tobacco in any package containing less than 0.60 ounces of tobacco.
- (4.5) A retailer shall not permit a person under eighteen years of age to sell or participate in the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, or nicotine products. This section does not prohibit an employee of a retailer who is eighteen years of age or older but under twenty-one years of age from handling or otherwise having any contact with cigarettes, tobacco products, or nicotine products that are offered for sale at the retailer's business.
- (5) Nothing in this section affects federal laws concerning cigarettes, tobacco products, or nicotine products, as they apply to military bases and Indian reservations within the state.
Source: L. 2018: Entire article added with relocations, (SB 18-036), ch. 34, p. 373, § 2, effective October 1. L. 2020: (1), (2), and (3) amended and (4.5) added, (HB 20-1001), ch. 302, p. 1506, § 7, effective July 14.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 24-35-503 as it existed prior to 2018.