CO Code § 44-7-103 (2021)
2021 Colorado Code|Title 44 - Revenue - Regulation of Activities|Article 7 - Regulation of Tobacco Sales|§ 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

  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.    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).    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:    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.    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.     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.   History. 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.