(a) No person shall sell or distribute to any person within the District of Columbia any cigarettes except in packages containing no less than 20 cigarettes.

(b) This section does not apply to a tobacco specialty store.

(c) Any person who violates subsection (a) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than $500 nor less than $100, imprisoned not more than 30 days, or both, for the first offense. Any person convicted of a subsequent violation of subsection (a) of this section shall be fined not more than $1,000 nor less than $500, imprisoned not more than 90 days, or both.

(d) Any license to sell tobacco products issued pursuant to § 47-2404 may be suspended for a first or second violation of subsection (a) of this section. The license shall be revoked for a third or subsequent violation of subsection (a) of this section.

(Feb. 7, 1891, 26 Stat. 736, ch. 117, § 6; as added July 23, 2010, D.C. Law 18-189, § 3(d), 57 DCR 3019; Feb. 18, 2017, D.C. Law 21-191, § 2(e), 63 DCR 15003.)

This section is referenced in § 7-1721.07.

Section 7021 of D.C. Law 22-168 repealed section 5 of D.C. Law 21-191 removing the applicability restriction impacting this section. Therefore the amendments of this section by D.C. Law 21-191 have been implemented.

Applicability of D.C. Law 21-191: § 5 of D.C. Law 21-191 provided that the change made to this section by § 2(e) of D.C. Law 21-191 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.