Trending - New Age 21 Minimum Age Sales Laws Across the Country

21 is the New Minimum Age for DE, VA & IL Retailers and more states are on the way!

Ten more states have changed their minimum-age laws, and your stores and employees need to be ready to comply.

As of July 1st, Illinois and Virginia retailers who sell tobacco and vapor products must enforce the new 21-year-old minimum-age state laws. On July 16th, Delaware’s 21 law is in effect. Beyond July, Arkansas, Connecticut, Vermont, Maryland, Washington, and Texas age 21 laws become effective. Nebraska changes to age 19. And more states are on the way.

Your employees need to know about the law changes, especially since the details vary by state.

Some states provide a U.S. military active duty exception to the law for 18 year olds. Others have increased the age to Ask-for-ID to “under 30” years old – higher than the FDA requirement of “under 27” years old.

We suggest preparing now for these fast-moving law changes. Preparing both your employees and equipping your store to handle young customers who can no longer purchase tobacco and vapor products is vital. And there’s a good possibility that the first time a customer hears of this new law, it will be from you and your store employees.

We Card is here to help prepare your store(s) for the new requirements and has the latest resources to keep you up to speed – We Card’s FREE 21 Year Minimum-age Resources.

We Card has prepared the latest versions of some key resources:

1) New State Law Summaries: A FREE download of each state’s new law’s important basics, covering:

• Minimum Age Restrictions
- Any exceptions (e.g., military IDs or grandfathered ages – if in the law)
• Minimum Age to Ask-for-ID (some states have boosted the age to “Under 30”)
• Age Restricted Products – Tobacco and Vapor
• Acceptable Forms of ID
• State-required Signage (if applicable)
• Fines and Penalties for violations

Note: 30-45 days before each law’s effective date, our free state law downloads will be available.

2) A FREE 10-12-minute Booster Course
This course is meant for all employees and retailers who have been trained but need to raise awareness of the new minimum-wage laws -- and importantly -- how to handle previous legal-aged customers who aren’t aware of the new law. The course highlights any state law exceptions to the 21-year minimum-age, alerts employees to the age to Ask-for-ID, and includes optional age-calculation practice, plus a technique for denying underage sales with positive customer service.

If you have your own internal training program, you probably don’t have this latest information. We encourage you to take advantage of this free booster course and make sure your employees have the skills and knowledge to comply with the new 21 year minimum-age state law.

3) The latest store signs.
Switching out the old 18-year-old minimum-age signage with the new 21-year old version is important for both your employees and your customers. The latest We Card kits have been made ready to prepare you for the new law and include updated Employee Guides with the new law summaries. To order your kit, follow this link.

Note: Like the free state law summary downloads, 30-45 days before each law’s effective date, the proper state law version included in We Card Kits will be updated

Transitioning your store and employees to complying with the new 21-year minimum-age laws can be easier if you prepare ahead of time and treat it seriously.

Lastly, you should be on the lookout for any communications from your state government about the new law. They too are adjusting their information and resources as the new law’s effective date draws near. See each state’s effective date and We Card’s 21 Year Resources here.

Doug Anderson
President
The We Card Program, Inc.