State

21 years old is the minimum age. No person shall sell to, distribute to, purchase for, or knowingly permit the purchase by any person younger than 21 years of age, knowing or having reason to believe that such person is younger than 21 years of age, any retail tobacco product or hemp product intended for smoking, nicotine vapor products and alternative nicotine products (e.g., e-cigarettes, e-vapor products and nicotine pouches.) (See Restricted Products section). 

New Law effective July 1, 2024 - Check back here periodically as this summary information is subject to change as guidance or information from state government agencies is provided.

Minimum Age to Ask for ID:  State law requires that you check photo ID of everyone who appears under 30 years old and verify that the consumer is 21 years or older.

ID Scanner/Technology Requirement:  For retailers who have received a 2nd violation for an illegal sale of either a retail tobacco product or liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products to someone under 21, you must age verify anyone appearing to be under 30 years old using fraud detection software, technology, or a scanner that confirms the authenticity of the consumer's government-issued photographic identification.

NEW Training Requirement:  Retailers must conduct training and education for their employees and attest that they have done so.  See information on the training requirements at www.wecard.org/va-training-requirement.

Federal

Deny sales to anyone under 21 years old for FDA regulated products (SEE Restricted Products section).

Note:  The new federal 21 year minimum-age for FDA regulated products of all tobacco and vaping products (SEE Restricted Products section) was declared immediately effective on December 20, 2019.  This law allows for no exceptions.

You must Check photo ID of everyone appearing under age 30 who attempts to purchase FDA regulated products and verify the customer is of legal age to purchase. This is an each-and-every time requirement (even if you know the person to be of legal are.) If you "carded" them yesterday, you must "card" them again today!

Decline a sale when the customer is underage, has no photo ID, the photo ID contains no date-of-birth or the photo ID has expired.

State

Any tobacco product containing, made of, or derived from tobacco or that contains nicotine that is intended for human consumption or is likely to be consumed, or hemp product intended for smoking whether smoked, heated, chewed, dissolved, inhaled, absorbed, or ingested by other means, including a cigarette, a heated tobacco product, a cigar, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff, snus, nicotine pouches, liquid nicotine, nicotine vapor product or other alternative nicotine product, any electronic smoking device and any substances that may be aerosolized or vaporized by such device, whether or not the substance contains nicotine, that can be used to deliver, aerosolized or vaporized substance to the person inhaling from the device, including, but not limited to e-cigarette, e-cigar, e-pipe, vape pen or e-hookah, including any component, part, or accessory, whether or not sold separately or whether or not any of these contain tobacco or nicotine, including, but not limited to, filters, rolling papers, blunt or hemp wraps and pipes.

Federal

FDA regulations apply to these tobacco products defined under the Tobacco Control Act as any product made or derived from tobacco or containing nicotine from any source (e.g., synthetic nicotine) that is intended for human consumption.

• Cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, and roll-your-own tobacco
• Do NOT break open cigarette packages to sell products in smaller amounts.
• Do NOT sell single cigarettes, also called "loosies."
• Do NOT sell cigarette packages containing fewer than 20 cigarettes.
• Do NOT sell flavored cigarettes, cigarette tobacco or roll-your-own tobacco (other than menthol or tobacco.)
• Only sell in a direct face-to-face exchange*.
• Smokeless tobacco
• Do NOT break open packages to sell products in smaller amounts.
• Only sell in a direct face-to-face exchange*.
• Do NOT sell without a health warning label.
• Cigars
• Hookah & Pipe tobacco
• Dissolvable tobacco products
• Nicotine gels
• Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS), which are products such as:
• e-cigarettes
• e-hookah
• ecigars
• vape pens
• advanced refillable personal vaporizers
• electronic pipes
• Components and Parts, such as:
• e-liquids**
• atomizers
• batteries (with or without variable voltage)
• cartomizers (atomizer plus replaceable fluid-filled cartridge)
• digital display/lights to adjust settings
• clearomisers
• tank systems
• flavors
• vials that contain e-liquids
• programmable software

• Do NOT give away free samples of any of these FDA regulated products or components and parts.  EXCEPTION:  Free samples of smokeless tobacco are only allowed in a "qualified adult-only facility" -- where no person younger than 21 is permitted to enter or be present (or a higher minimum-age if your state or locality has a higher age limit.)
• Do NOT sell in vending machines UNLESS you operate a "qualified adult-only facility" -- where no person younger than 21 is permitted to enter or be present (or a higher minimum-age if your state or locality has a higher age limit.) Some state laws prohibit tobacco product vending machines. Check your state law.

EXCLUDED from FDA regulation are accessories, such as:  ashtrays, spittoons, hookah tongs, cigar clips and stands, pipe pouches, humidors.

* The sale of cigarettes, cigarette tobacco and smokeless tobacco through vending machines and self-service displays are allowed ONLY in adult-only facilities where no person younger than 21 is permitted to enter or be present (or a higher minimum-age if your state or locality has a higher age limit.)

** Retail establishments, such as vape shops, that mix and/or prepare e-liquids or assemble vaporizers are considered "tobacco product manufacturers."  Many separate regulations will apply.  See FDA regulations for tobacco product manufacturers at www.fda.gov.

State

Driver’s license or other similar government-issued photo identification demonstrating that the buyer is at least 21. 

Federal

Unless otherwise required by state or local law, FDA recommends that retailers accept only government-issued photographic identification with the bearer’s date of birth. (e.g., State-issued driver’s license or identification card, military identification card, passport or immigration card) for establishing a legal age to purchase FDA regulated products. The Photo ID is not acceptable if it has expired.

State

None.

Federal

Federal law provides that the FDA shall adopt regulations that may provide any retailer that implements the “approved training program,” a reduced civil money penalty if that retailer is found in violation. The FDA does not require training, but it recommends retailers train and educate their employees.

Until the FDA issues guidance or regulations on what constitutes an FDA “approved training program,” the FDA indicates “the agency intends to use a lower maximum civil money penalties schedule for all retailers who violate the regulations restricting the sale and distribution of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products, whether or not they have implemented a training program. However, FDA may consider further reducing the civil money penalty for retailers who have implemented a training program.”

State

None.

Federal

Not applicable under Federal law

State

Tobacco retailers must post, in a conspicuous manner and place, a sign or signs indicating that the sale of tobacco products, including wrappings, nicotine vapor products, or alternative nicotine products to any person under 21 years of age is prohibited by law. Violators can be fined up to $50.

ONLINE: Download a pdf of required sign. 

2nd Sign requirement:  Tobacco retailers must post, in a conspicuous manner and place, a sign or signs indicating that the sale of tobacco products or hemp products intended for smoking to any person under 21 years of age is prohibited by law.  Violators can be fined up to $500.

Any retailer selling liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products shall also display signage clearly indicating "products are not for sale to minors" or "underage sale prohibited."

Federal

Effective 8/10/18:  For retailers who sell cigars individually without packaging, there is an FDA sign requirement.   Download We Card's Sign

Alert:  A U.S. District court overturned this regulation in February 2020. However, there are expectations this regulation will be revisited and may be reinstated after ongoing adjustments or legal matters before the courts. Therefore, retailers need to be prepared for this requirement IF it is required once the legal matters are resolved by the court.

Cigars Sold Individually without Packaging - Retailers who sell cigars individually, and not in a product package must post a sign at each point-of-sale that displays all six of the required warning statements per 21 CFR § 1143.5(a)(3).  Each sign must be at least 8.5x11 inches in size; clear, legible, and conspicuous; printed in black Helvetica bold or Arial bold type or other similar sans serif fonts against a solid white background, in at least 17-point font size with appropriate spacing between the warning statements; posted on or within 3 inches of each cash register where payment may be made; and unobstructed in its entirety and read easily by each consumer making a purchase. The required warning statements on the sign must be: printed in a manner that contrasts, by typography, layout, or color, with all other printed material; and capitalized and punctuated as indicated above.  

State

As a condition of receiving federal substance abuse block grant funds, federal law requires the Commonwealth to conduct random, unannounced inspections of tobacco outlets to determine compliance rates. Inspections are conducted by the Virginia Alcohol and Beverage Control (ABC) agency, which receives its funding from the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation. ABC hires Under-Aged Buyers (UAB) to conduct the inspections. UAB’s are immune from prosecution under state under-aged tobacco purchase and sale laws. The Department of Taxation may also conduct compliance checks of retailers.

Federal

FDA conducts compliance checks of retail stores to determine whether retailers are complying with the new federal law, using:

• Attempted purchases of tobacco using underage customers.
• Inspections of stores for other compliance requirements.
• Inspections of stores in response to public complaints to the FDA’s request for the general public to report suspected store violations (1-877-CTP-1373 or AskCTP@fda.hhs.gov)

The FDA indicates that it will conduct follow-up compliance checks on stores found in violation.

State

Minor license is vertical.  UNDER 21 UNTIL date is on the front at the bottom. For more information and/or an image, visit here. 

Federal

Not applicable under Federal law

State

None

Federal

See additional information and requirements on advertising, labeling and promotion requirements -- available here.