Rhode Island General Laws 11-9-13.15. Penalty for operating without a dealer license
(a) Any individual or business who or that violates this chapter by selling or conveying a tobacco product without a retail tobacco products dealer license shall be cited for that violation and shall be required to appear in court for a hearing on the citation.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 11-9-13.15
- Court: means any appropriate district court of the state of Rhode Island. See Rhode Island General Laws 11-9-13.4
- Dealer: is synonymous with the term "retail tobacco products dealer. See Rhode Island General Laws 11-9-13.4
- License: is synonymous with the term "retail tobacco products dealer license" or "electronic nicotine-delivery system license" or any license issued under chapter 20 of Title 44 or chapter 1 of Title 23. See Rhode Island General Laws 11-9-13.4
- Person: means any individual person, firm, fiduciary, partnership, trust, association, or corporation licensed as a retail dealer to sell tobacco products within the state. See Rhode Island General Laws 11-9-13.4
(b) Any individual or business cited for a violation under this section of this chapter shall:
(1) Either post a two-thousand-five-hundred-dollar ($2,500) bond with the court within ten (10) days of the citation; or
(2) Sign and accept the citation indicating a promise to appear in court.
(c) An individual or business who or that has accepted the citation may:
(1) Pay a ten-thousand-dollar ($10,000) fine, either by mail or in person, within ten (10) days after receiving the citation; or
(2) If that individual or business has posted a bond, forfeit the bond by not appearing at the scheduled hearing. If the individual or business cited pays the ten-thousand-dollar ($10,000) fine or forfeits the bond, that individual or business is deemed to have admitted the cited violation and to have waived the right to a hearing on the issue of commission on the violation.
(d) The court after a hearing on a citation shall make a determination as to whether a violation has been committed. If it is established that the violation did occur, the court shall impose a ten-thousand-dollar ($10,000) fine, in addition to any court costs or other court fees.
History of Section.
P.L. 1996, ch. 321, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 151, § 2; P.L. 2014, ch. 168, § 2; P.L. 2016, ch. 512, art. 1, § 4.