April 10, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 245, amending revised statutes that establish a standardized licensing system for tobacco, nicotine, and vapor product retailers under the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, including uniform application forms, published requirements, and annual renewal rules, while barring the agency from adding extra requirements beyond statute.
The measure introduces “batch licensing” for multi-location retailers, mandates online publication of forms within 30 days, requires fee refunds if licenses are denied, and sets grace periods for application corrections and ownership changes. Retailers would need to apply within 60 days of enactment if unlicensed, with enforcement continuing without delay; the bill also repeals transitional licensing rules, requires rapid implementation of regulations, and applies some provisions retroactively to January 1.