Most enforcement in our region has been local and uneven: an agency inspection here, a county sweep there. The stores that come through best have the same things in common. Their staff are calm, their paperwork is ready, and nobody improvises.
What to have ready
- A COA binder at the counter. Current certificates matched to the batches on the shelf.
- Your licenses and registrations. Whatever your state requires, in the same binder.
- A one-page staff card. Who to call (owner, then lawyer), and what to say. Taped inside the register.
What staff should do
- Stay calm and polite. Be cooperative and respectful. Don't argue product law at the counter.
- Ask who they are and why they're here, and ask whether they have paperwork such as an inspection notice or a warrant. Write down names, agencies and badge numbers.
- Call the owner right away. Then the lawyer, if the owner says to.
- Don't consent to anything you're unsure of, and don't obstruct. You can politely say you'd like to wait for the owner or your lawyer. Never physically interfere, hide anything, or move product.
- Don't guess. "I don't know, the owner can answer that" is a complete answer.
After they leave
Write down what happened while it's fresh: time, people, what was said, what was taken, any receipt or inventory list. Then call your lawyer.
This is general information for staff training, not legal advice. Your lawyer can tell you how it applies in your state. Ask the Desk what's been happening in your county.