If someone is unwell, start here. If someone is difficult to wake, is not breathing normally, is having a seizure, or is unresponsive, call 911. For a reaction that worries you, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, around the clock. The crisis lifeline is 988, by call or text. The federal treatment locator is findtreatment.gov.
Kratom is not a treatment for opioid use disorder, and it is not a treatment for opioid or kratom withdrawal; buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone are the medicines with the evidence base. Clinical questions go to a clinician, not to us, and not to your store staff.
Status as of November 9, 2026. Moving items only.
Federal. MGPI (mitragynine pseudoindoxyl), MGM-15 and MGM-16 have been in temporary Schedule I since August 26, 2026, in any quantity. DEA's notice of October 14, 2026 would temporarily place the minor alkaloid and MGPI in Schedule I above set thresholds, and says an order "will be published in the Federal Register on or after November 13, 2026": a floor, not a start date. Our searches on November 9, 2026 found none.
Darien, Illinois. Ordinance O-38-26, adopted October 19, 2026, bars any business from selling, offering for sale, distributing or delivering kratom from 30 days after passage: November 18, 2026, by our count.
Pocatello, Idaho. Nothing adopted. A city notice says the council "is expected to consider the proposed ordinance", a ban on kratom sales, at its November 19, 2026 meeting. City rules require readings on three different days unless four members vote to suspend them, so that meeting may bring a first reading, final passage, or neither.
Also pending. The San Diego City Attorney's civil suit against a smoke shop operator, announced August 10, 2026: allegations, with no ruling or settlement found. Illinois: nine kratom bills, none passed.
Checked November 9, 2026. Ordinances, city codes, state law, the Federal Register and our own store pages. Not legal advice.
Who wrote it, and what we sell. Rebel X Brands wholesales kava, kava-kratom drinks and kratom products to licensed businesses: GRH Kratom powders, King K kratom shots and liquid extracts, and GUD Tonics kava extract powder and kava-kratom drinks. These ordinances reach products like ours. Our shipping policy lists places we do not ship kratom products to; it is a policy, not the law, and says it "may not include every local rule". No affiliate links.
Corrections and next review. Corrections go through the contact page on rebelxbrands.com. Next review February 9, 2027, or sooner if a vote, ruling, federal order or state enactment named here happens.
Listen to this article
Read by an AI voice. The whole guide is read aloud, including the helpline box, the status list above and the eleven-step checklist. The one table of ordinance verbs is pointed to rather than read, because it is a grid. Ordinance, bill and statute numbers are read out in full.
A kratom ordinance is a city or county law on kratom. In Washington, Idaho and Illinois in 2026, councils acted where legislatures did not: Washington's and Idaho's kratom bills failed, and Illinois' had not left committee by November 9, 2026. There, a store can sell kratom legally under state law and still sit in a town that bans the sale, the delivery, the advertising or, in a few places, the possession of it.
Why kratom rules are coming from city councils
Washington has no kratom statute. Its 2026 bills, HB 2291, which would have set statewide rules, and SB 6196, a kratom tax, both died in committee. Idaho has none either: its kratom bills died, one on the Senate floor on March 30, 2026. Illinois' Kratom Control Act, in force since January 1, 2015, sets an age of 18 and no labeling, testing or adult rule.
So councils write the rules. Washington's constitution, as MRSC quotes it, lets any county, city or town "make and enforce within its limits all such local police, sanitary and other regulations as are not in conflict with general laws." Darien and Bartlett in Illinois act under home rule; Marion's council even "encourages and implores the Illinois General Assembly to likewise ban the sale of Kratom". Whether your town has the same powers is for counsel.
MRSC, a nonprofit that advises Washington's local governments, wrote in May 2026 that "locally enacted regulations have been in the form of bans on the sale, distribution, or advertising of kratom products", and counted at least four such cities then. It summed up the councils' reasons as "potential dangers, risks for youths, addiction, and the unregulated nature of kratom." Those are their reasons as MRSC read them, not findings of ours.
Read the verbs first: what a kratom ordinance actually prohibits
The sales bans we read are rarely only about sales. The verbs are the rule. Spokane's operative sentence is short: "A person shall not distribute, sell, or permit to be sold a kratom product to any person."
| Place and ordinance | Its verbs, quoted | Possession | In force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spokane, Washington (C36820) | "distribute, sell, or permit to be sold" | Not covered | April 8, 2026. |
| Spokane Valley, Washington (26-003) | "sell, distribute, advertise for sale or distribution, or permit to be sold" | Not covered | March 16, 2026, per MRSC. |
| Othello, Washington (1647) | "knowingly sell, distribute, advertise for sale or distribution, or permit to be sold" | Not covered | May 11, 2026 (our count). |
| Naperville, Illinois (File 26-0984B) | "any business to sell, offer for sale, distribute, or deliver Kratom" | Under 18 barred; adults not addressed | October 1, 2026. |
| Bartlett, Illinois (2026-102) | "advertise, sell, offer for sale, give away, deliver, or distribute" | Not covered | October 20, 2026. |
| Marion, Illinois (4138) | "sell, offer for sale, display for sale, deliver, distribute, possess with intent to sale, or otherwise furnish" | Barred for any "Retailer or Business" | Adopted September 28, 2026; in force on publication. |
| Castle Rock, Colorado (2026-032) | "sell or offer to sell at retail within the Town any kratom products intended for human consumption" | Not covered | November 5, 2026 (our calculation, if posted). |
| San Diego, California (Municipal Code 52.3303) | "manufacture, sell, offer to sell, offer for sale, distribute, or possess for sale" | Banned too (section 52.3304) | 2016. |
Most of these texts are silent on a customer holding kratom; "not covered" describes the text and is not a suggestion. Darien and Naperville bar possession under 18; Marion bars it for "any Retailer or Business". San Diego bans simple possession, and East Alton, Illinois' village code bans possession by anyone, at $75 to $750 per day.
The verbs reach past the register. Spokane, Spokane Valley and Othello define "distribute" to include "give away" and "deliver", "whether or not for monetary gain", so a free sample counts. Spokane Valley's "sell" includes "offer, carry, stock", and its "advertise", like Othello's, includes "physical displays of kratom products, signs located at a business" and "internet websites, social media". Spokane's text has no advertising verb.
People are covered too. Bartlett's "person" includes any "employee, volunteer or agent", and its chapter reaches anyone "aiding, abetting" or "concealing" a prohibited act. And one word splits two near-identical rules: Othello's applies to a person who acts "knowingly"; Spokane Valley's has no such word.
Definitions decide what is covered
The verbs say what you may not do. The definitions say to what. Spokane's "kratom product" is any food, supplement or beverage "intended for human consumption" that contains any part of the leaf or "an extract, synthetic alkaloid, or synthetically derived compound" of the plant. Beverages are named, which matters for kava-kratom drinks like the ones we sell.
Darien's definition is wider: "Any parts of the plant Mitragyna speciosa, whether growing or not, and any compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of that plant". Darien and Bartlett also ban synthetic products alongside kratom, and Castle Rock's definition includes synthetic material containing mitragynine or the minor alkaloid.
The phrase "for human consumption" cuts both ways. Castle Rock's ban reaches "kratom products intended for human consumption"; Wheaton, Illinois covers kratom "whether or not provided for human consumption". San Diego's code never says kratom: it lists 91 example compounds, mitragynine and the minor alkaloid among them, and says a disclaimer that a product is not safe for human consumption does not take it outside the code.
Our advice: never treat a label as a way around an ordinance. Ask counsel.
Penalties, licenses and civil suits
The Washington ordinances use civil penalties. Spokane makes a violation a civil infraction under the city's schedule, which applies state-law penalties plus repeat-offender penalties; the chapter names no dollar figure. Spokane Valley's ordinance and Othello's set a "class 1 civil infraction" with "a fine of $250", counting each sale, advertisement or distribution, and each 24-hour period, as a separate violation. The fines stack. A civil infraction is not a crime.
Four Illinois towns set ranges, caps and minimums. Bartlett fines $50 to $750. Marion fines up to $750 per offense, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense. Wheaton sets minimums of $500, then $1,000. Darien's hearing officer must fine at least $500 and, at the city's request, can order "removal of all substances on premises which are in violation".
Some escalate. Bingham County, Idaho charges $250 for a first violation and $500 for a second within two years; a third within two years is a misdemeanor, with up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both. Castle Rock's general penalty runs up to $2,650, up to 364 days in jail, or both. San Diego's code also makes a property owner liable after 30 days' written notice, so a landlord has a stake in your shelves.
The license may cost more than the fine. Spokane, Spokane Valley and Othello can revoke or deny the business license of a retailer found in violation, and Bartlett's ordinance puts a convicted store owner's license at risk. Antioch, Illinois wrote its ban through licenses instead: from December 8, 2023, it barred liquor and tobacco license holders from selling kratom.
Then there is court. On August 10, 2026, the San Diego City Attorney announced a civil suit under California's Unfair Competition Law against a smoke shop operator and eleven corporations. The complaint alleges that undercover investigators were offered and sold kratom products at all eleven stores between March and May 2026, and that "profiting from banned products gives them an advantage over law-abiding competitors." It seeks an injunction, civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation, up to $2,500 more per violation against seniors or disabled people, and costs. These are allegations; we found no ruling or settlement on November 9, 2026. The point is the mechanism: a city code, enforced in court under state law, with penalties sought per violation.
When a city kratom ordinance takes effect
Adoption and effect are often different days.
Spokane's charter shows the full path: "two public readings by title" on different days, publication in the Official Gazette within ten days, presentation to the mayor, and effect "thirty days after its enactment unless a later day is specified". Its kratom ordinance went to committee on December 1, 2025, passed 6-1 on March 2, 2026, and took effect April 8, 2026.
Washington's code-city statute, RCW 35A.12.130, runs a shorter clock: "No ordinance shall take effect until five days after the date of its publication", emergencies aside. Spokane Valley's and Othello's ordinances each take effect five days after publication. Othello's was published May 6, 2026, which makes May 11 by our count; MRSC's summary says May 1. Read the ordinance, not the summary.
Others name their own day. Bingham County picked September 1, 2026; Bartlett's took effect on passage, October 20, 2026; Naperville's, passed September 1, 2026, took effect October 1. Castle Rock voted 6-1 at readings on September 15 and October 6, 2026 (the second per draft minutes); its ban is in force from November 5, 2026 under the Town Code's 30-day rule, by our calculation, if posted online by then. Marion's and Coeur d'Alene's take effect on publication; we did not read those dates.
Darien, Illinois split the two days on purpose. Its ordinance is in force on passage, approval and publication, but "The prohibition set forth in this Ordinance shall go into effect 30 days after passage of this Ordinance. City staff is directed to notify all businesses potentially affected by this Ordinance." Passed 7-0 on October 19, 2026, that is November 18 by our count: a date for the calendar, nothing more.
Two cautions. A posted PDF may be a draft: Royal City, Washington's posted kratom ordinance is unsigned, with blank penalties and another city's council named in it. And a first reading is not adoption: Pocatello, Idaho requires readings on three different days unless four members vote to suspend them (status at the top).
Preemption and sunset clauses
Spokane's chapter has a section headed "Sunset Upon State or Federal Regulation". Here is all of it: "This chapter shall be effective until preempted by the State of Washington or the federal government." MRSC calls that a "sunset clause"; it has no expiry date. Othello's keeps its other provisions valid if any part is "pre-empted by state or federal law or regulation". Spokane Valley, Darien, Bartlett, Marion and Bingham County have no sunset clause.
States can take the field back, and bills have tried. MRSC says Washington's HB 2291 "had a state preemption clause that would have prevented local bans or other regulations"; it died. Illinois' HB4737, re-referred to House Rules on March 27, 2026, says it "Limits home rule powers and functions". Until something preempts it, the ordinance is the rule.
Not every council bans
MRSC's menu for councils runs from "licensing, age restrictions, labeling, testing, warnings, zoning, and location restrictions" to "outright bans". Coeur d'Alene, Idaho chose the front of it on September 15, 2026. Its Ordinance 3781 requires a city license to "produce, distribute, or dispense Kratom", bars knowingly distributing or dispensing it to anyone under 21 and possession by anyone under 21, and keeps products "Behind a checkout counter" or in a locked display case, with no self-service. Labels must state that "Kratom may be habit forming"; no package may say "All Natural". Police may inspect "at any time the business is open to the public." Unlicensed or under-21 sales are misdemeanors.
In Illinois, Oak Park has required buyers to be 21, with kratom behind the counter, since June 1, 2025; Morton Grove has required a license since January 1, 2026. WCBU reported that Washington, Illinois banned synthetic sales and set testing and an under-21 store rule in May 2026; we did not read that ordinance.
What to do when your council puts kratom on the agenda
If you are selling kratom where a council has scheduled a vote, the work starts before it. MRSC tells governments to "Listen to your stakeholders, including law enforcement, businesses, public health authorities, and the public". Businesses are on that list.
- Our advice: get the agenda packet and the ordinance text, and read the text itself, not a summary, ours included. Read your neighbors' texts too: Bingham County's says it was adopted "in substantially similar form as the City of Kellogg".
- Our advice: note every reading, the vote, the publication date and the effective date.
- Our advice: list the verbs and the definition, then check your shelves, displays, signs, website and social accounts against them.
- Our advice: take the adopted text to a lawyer licensed in your state well before the effective date, including what it means for stock on your premises.
- Our advice: check every license you hold, whether business, tobacco or liquor.
- Our advice: keep invoices, lot numbers, certificates of analysis, labels and licenses together, ready for an inspector.
- Our advice: take covered products off sale by the effective date, in the store and in any listing or post for that store, and do not give them away.
- Our advice: brief your staff; Bartlett's text covers employees. Our update on the Massachusetts order covers the same ground for a statewide rule.
- Our advice: if you speak at a hearing, speak about rules and records, such as ID checks, labels and certificates. Make no health or treatment claims, and do not call kratom a substitute for anything.
- Our advice: get the federal facts right. In Idaho's 2026 debate, a police officer and a health-district speaker said the minor alkaloid was already federally scheduled, and a company representative expected a federal ban on November 13. In fact, no such order had been published by November 9, 2026, and November 13 is only the earliest date one could be.
- Our advice: plan for a customer who becomes unwell: 911, then Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, then a note of what was sold, from which lot, and when. Our adverse-event playbook covers the steps.
The federal layer under every town
Kratom leaf and mitragynine are not federally controlled. MGPI, MGM-15 and MGM-16 have been in Schedule I, in any amount, since DEA's temporary order of August 26, 2026, which says "Retail sales of schedule I controlled substances to the general public are not allowed under the CSA". DEA's notice of intent of October 14, 2026 would temporarily place the minor alkaloid and MGPI in Schedule I above set thresholds, with any order "on or after November 13, 2026": a floor, not a start date. We found no order on November 9, 2026.
Where Rebel X stands
We are a wholesaler, not a regulator or a law firm, and we have a commercial interest in how councils vote. These ordinances reach the kinds of products we sell, and nothing here says any product, ours included, may be sold at your address. Do not treat any supplier's no-ship list, ours included, as a map of where kratom may be sold.
One note on our own list. Our shipping policy, last updated November 5, 2026, names Spokane, Spokane Valley, Othello, Cle Elum and Idaho Falls. It does not name Darien, Bartlett, Marion, Bingham County, Naperville, Wheaton, East Alton, Antioch or Castle Rock. It does name Denver, where a health department spokesperson told Westword in 2022 there is "not a city ordinance specifically in place addressing kratom"; we found no record that the department's 2017 restriction on kratom sold or served for human consumption was lifted, and we have not settled whether that entry belongs.
Whether a wholesaler's shipment into a city that bans distribution or delivery, ours included, counts as either there is a question for counsel, and this guide does not answer it.
We are updating our shipping policy against these ordinances, starting with Darien, Bartlett, Marion, Bingham County, Naperville, Wheaton, East Alton, Antioch and Castle Rock, and reviewing the Denver entry with counsel.
If you run a licensed business and want to talk wholesale, start with our wholesale application. To correct anything in this guide, or to ask about it, contact us.
Kratom ordinance questions, answered
What is a kratom ordinance?
A city or county law on kratom. Most we read ban acts, not the plant: selling, offering, distributing, delivering and, in some towns, advertising, giving away or possessing. A few regulate instead, with licenses, age limits and display rules. Read the adopted text for your town.
Do city kratom ordinances cover possession?
Most we read do not. Darien and Naperville bar possession under 18, Coeur d'Alene under 21, and Marion by any retailer or business. San Diego's code bans simple possession, and East Alton, Illinois' village code bans possession by anyone. That describes the texts, nothing more.
When does a kratom ordinance take effect?
On the date its text, the city's charter or state law sets, often not the day of the vote. Spokane's charter sets 30 days after enactment unless a later day is named, Washington's code-city statute five days after publication, and Darien's prohibition starts 30 days after passage: November 18, 2026, by our count. A first reading is not adoption.
Can a city fine a store for selling kratom?
Where its ordinance bans the sale, yes. Spokane Valley and Othello set $250 per sale, ad or distribution and per 24 hours; Bartlett, $50 to $750; Bingham County, $250, then $500, then a misdemeanor; Castle Rock, up to $2,650, up to 364 days in jail, or both. Several cities can also revoke a business license.
Does a "not for human consumption" label avoid a city ban?
Do not count on it. San Diego's code says a disclaimer that a product is not safe for human consumption does not take it outside the code, and Wheaton, Illinois covers kratom "whether or not provided for human consumption". Where a text reaches products "intended for human consumption", ask counsel. Our advice: never treat a label as a way around an ordinance.
Disclaimer: this article summarizes public documents and our own store pages as read on November 9, 2026. It is general business information, not legal or medical advice, and no substitute for counsel. "Our advice" lines are suggested practice, not statements of the law. Statements about botanical products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and no product is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
