State of California Department of Justice
Rob Bonta
Attorney General
Attorney General
The California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016 (Proposition 56) funding helps promote a healthier California by reducing illegal retail sales and marketing of cigarettes and tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to minors. The Tobacco Grant Program, administered by the Office of the Attorney General, makes these annual funds available to local law enforcement agencies throughout California. Since its inception in 2017, the Tobacco Grant Program has distributed approximately $240 million in grant funding through a competitive process.
The 2025 applications process is closed and awards have been made. The next application cycle will open in Spring 2026. To stay informed, we encourage you to subscribe to the DOJ Grant Opportunities mailing list for updates as this date gets closer.
Note: The information that follows is specific to the 2025/26 grant cycle and will be updated when current information is available for the next round. Grant priorities, application processes, and guidance may change when next year’s Request for Proposals is released.
The pre-application webinar for the 2025-26 grant cycle was held on April 30, 2025. We encourage all applicants to view this presentation to facilitate clear understanding of the grant opportunity. The presentation slides are also available to review.
To facilitate understanding of the Tobacco Grant Program and complete your application, please review the following documents:
Any local public agency within the State of California that has authority to enforce tobacco-related state laws or local ordinances related to retail tobacco sales and marketing is eligible to apply. This may include police and sheriffs’ departments, district and city attorneys and county counsels, public health departments, cities, counties, and public school/college districts.
An estimated $28.5 million in grant funding is available this year to support local enforcement efforts to reduce illegal retail sales and marketing of tobacco products to minors and youth.
The Tobacco Grant Program is a reimbursement grant. DOJ will reimburse selected public agencies, in arrears, for approved expenditures upon receipt of invoices, quarterly progress reports, and other enforcement data required.
Selected public agencies will be funded for 24 or 36 months. Projects are expected to begin as early as November 1, 2025, or as late as July 1, 2026, and must end on or before June 30, 2029.
Applications must be prepared using DOJ’s online web-based application form and submitted with all required attachments.
A grant application requires submission of the following major components:
DOJ’s Tobacco Grant Program application process is highly competitive. In accordance with Proposition 56, funds will be awarded to applicants demonstrating strong capacity to support and/or hire enforcement officers for activities specifically aimed at reducing the illegal retail sales and/or marketing of tobacco products to minors and youth.
Priority activities include, but are not limited to:
Activities that will NOT be considered within this funding opportunity include, but are not limited to:
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Release of Request for Proposals | April 21, 2025 |
| Pre-Application Webinar | April 30, 2025 |
| Deadline to Submit Proposal | June 20, 2025 |
| Milestone | Approximate Date |
|---|---|
| Award Selection | October 2025 |
| Earliest Project Start | November 2025 |
| Grant Opening Documents Due | By end of January 2026 |
Email [email protected] with any questions regarding the application process.