Cobb County commissioners will vote Tuesday, Oct. 27, on whether to require new vape shops in unincorporated areas to get a county license and stay at least 600 feet from schools, churches, parks and libraries.

The proposed ordinance would also bar new vapor retailers from opening within 2,500 feet of another vape shop and within 300 feet of a private residence, according to the draft ordinance text published by Cobb County Community Development. The rules would apply to any business where 75% or more of total sales come from vapor products.

The distance requirements mirror the county's existing alcohol licensing buffers, according to a work session presentation delivered to commissioners in September.

For East Cobb, where schools, churches and residential neighborhoods sit close to commercial corridors, the buffers could significantly limit where new vape shops can locate. The ordinance measures distance in a straight line from a store's customer entry door to the nearest property line of a protected use.

What the ordinance requires

The new Article VIII of Chapter 78 of the county code would create a Vapor Product Retailer License for businesses in unincorporated Cobb County. No one could operate a vape shop without one.

Retailers would face three distance buffers:

  • 300 feet from private residences, defined as single- or two-family homes, excluding apartments, mobile homes and residences in commercial zones
  • 600 feet from public libraries, churches, public parks, schools and colleges
  • 2,500 feet from another vapor retailer

Each buffer can be waived. The county's license review board or the Board of Commissioners could grant a distance waiver at a public hearing if an applicant shows the license would not harm property values or the protected site's use.

Existing vape shops would be grandfathered. Renewals and license transfers at currently licensed locations would not have to meet the new distance rules.

Enforcement and penalties

The ordinance defines a "minor" as anyone under 21. Retailers would be prohibited from selling vapor products to anyone under that age and must check every buyer's government-issued photo ID.

The Cobb County Police Department would enforce the rules. Fines escalate with repeat violations within 12 months: $300 for a first offense, $600 for a second and $1,200 for a third. A fourth violation in 12 months would trigger a hearing before the license review board, which could suspend or revoke the license.

Vape shops would also have to keep their interiors fully visible. The ordinance bans window screens, curtains or partitions that block the view inside and requires stores to be lit so the interior is visible day and night.

What's next

Tuesday's 7 p.m. meeting at the David Hankerson Building, 100 Cherokee Street in Marietta, is the second of two public hearings on the measure. The first was held Oct. 13. Commissioners are expected to vote after the hearing.

If approved, the ordinance would take effect April 1, 2027. How many vape shops currently operate in unincorporated Cobb County, and how many would fall within the new buffer zones, is not addressed in available county documents.