New York City Department of Consumer Affairs
New York City Department of Finance

Selected Controls Over Licensing of Cigarette Retailers and Wholesalers

Cigarette retailers and wholesalers operating in New York City must be licensed by New York State and New York City. We examined selected controls over the licensing process at the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA, which licenses retailers) and the New York City Department of Finance (DOF, which licenses wholesalers). We identified a number of retailers that were selling cigarettes in New York City without a current license from DCA, including several whose licenses had been suspended or revoked by DCA. Based on the results of our statistical sample of retailers holding a current State license but no current City license, we estimated that between 285 and 725 retailers were selling cigarettes in New York City without a current City license. We also identified wholesalers that were operating with a City license but no State license. We recommended actions that could be taken by DCA and DOF to identify unlicensed retailers and wholesalers.

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