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Virginia ABC > Licenses > Retail Resources > Tobacco Products

Tobacco Products

Nicotine Product Law Changes Effective July 1, 2019

Effective July 1, 2019, no sales of tobacco, alternative nicotine or nicotine vapor products are permitted to persons less than 21 years of age. This includes cigarettes, cigars, bidis, smokeless tobacco and wrapping papers, as well as electronic cigarettes and alternative nicotine products.

  • The sale of single cigarettes is not permitted.
  • Tobacco products may be sold from a vending machine only if the machine is (a) posted with a notice, in a conspicuous manner and place, indicating that the purchase or possession of tobacco products by persons under 21 years of age is unlawful and (b) located in a place that is not open to the general public and is not generally accessible to persons under 21 years of age.
  • Do not sell nicotine products to anyone, even if they are of age, whom you know or believe is buying on behalf of a person under 21 years of age.

At all times, carefully check IDs to determine if the person is under 21 years of age.

Signage Requirement

Retailers should post a sign stating the sale of these products to any person under 21 years of age (effective July 1, 2019) is prohibited by law.

Retailers should remove any signage related to nicotine product usage at 18 years old and replace with the ready-made sign below, which reflects this new law. Do Not Sell stickers with the new minimum age were mailed to retailers December 2019.

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Special agents are the primary resource for questions related to operating a business with an ABC license. Contact a special agent via your regional ABC office. For step-by-step assistance in banquet licensing, see our Licensing Wizard.

Training

Virginia ABC offers free online training to help managers, sellers and servers to become more responsible and better understand ABC laws, rules and regulations. For more information, contact Education and Prevention, (804) 977-7440 or [email protected].

The information on this page is meant for general guidance only. For specific questions, contact your ABC special agent. To view ABC laws and regulations, visit Virginia’s Legislative Information System.