Committed to Protecting Youth Health: Attorney General Bonta Reminds Tobacco Manufacturers and Importers to Submit Applications for Unflavored Tobacco List by October 9

Tobacco products not appearing on Unflavored Tobacco List will be ineligible for sale in California

OAKLAND - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today reminded tobacco manufacturers and importers that, pursuant to Assembly Bill (AB) 3218 (Wood, 2024), the Attorney General's Office is required to establish a Unflavored Tobacco List (UTL), a list of unflavored tobacco products that are lawful for sale in California. Any covered tobacco product not appearing on the UTL will be deemed a flavored tobacco product and ineligible for sale. To be considered for the initial publication of the UTL, tobacco manufacturers and importers must submit completed applications by Thursday, October 9, 2025. The UTL Portal, where applicants may create accounts and submit applications, is available at utl.doj.ca.gov. Sponsored by Attorney General Bonta, AB 3218 provides that the UTL must be published by December 31, 2025.

"In California, we have not, and will not, waver in protecting the health of our people - especially our youth. Critical to those efforts will be the Unflavored Tobacco List that my office is charged with publishing and maintaining," said Attorney General Bonta. "This list provides much-needed transparency about the unflavored tobacco products that can be legally sold in our state. I encourage tobacco manufacturers and importers to submit their applications for inclusion in the Unflavored Tobacco List as soon as possible. The October 9 deadline is just around the corner."

In 2020, Senate Bill 793 (Hill, 2020) banned flavored tobacco products (subject to certain exceptions) and tobacco product flavor enhancers in California. AB 3218, which went into effect on January 1, 2025, amended the flavor ban by expanding the definition of flavored products, expanding enforcement power, and creating the UTL. The Attorney General's Office issued emergency regulations to implement AB 3218, in part, by describing how tobacco manufacturers and importers of unflavored tobacco products may apply for the placement of their products on the UTL and what information those manufacturers and importers must provide. The regulations also establish fees for initial and renewed placement on the list, and describe how civil penalties against distributors, wholesalers, and delivery sellers of products not appearing on the UTL may be assessed and appealed.

Any eligible tobacco manufacturer or importer may appoint authorized agents to prepare product forms and make submissions on their behalf. Applications for the list submitted by October 9, 2025 will be considered for that initial list and will receive a response - whether that is an approval, denial, or request for additional information, before the list goes live. Applications are complete and will be considered for the initial list if, by October 9, 2025, a manufacturer or importer creates an account, fills out information regarding products through product or variant form(s), completes UTL application(s), submits payment that the Attorney General's Office receives, and samples are postmarked.

Questions regarding registration and submissions can be directed to [email protected].