Guides

UK vape law: what’s in force and what’s planned

A dated summary of the main UK rules on vaping products, split into what applies now and what is planned. Some dates are intentions or drafts and may change, so check the linked sources before relying on one.

Published . Facts checked against the sources below on . General information, not legal advice.

In force now

Changes with a start date

  • 1 June 2025In force

    Single-use vapes banned

    Since this date it has been an offence in all four UK nations for a business to supply, offer to supply or hold for supply a single-use (disposable) vape, in a shop or online, with or without nicotine. Reusable vapes may still be sold.

    Read the single-use vape ban guide

  • 1 October 2026In force

    Vaping Products Duty starts

    An excise duty of £2.20 per 10 ml of vaping liquid, whether or not it contains nicotine. Duty-liable vaping products must carry a duty stamp.

    Read the Vaping Products Duty guide

  • 29 October 2026In force

    Minimum age of 18 for all vapes

    It is an offence to sell any vaping product, with or without nicotine, or any nicotine product to anyone under 18, anywhere in the UK, online sellers included. In England and Wales this is section 10 of the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 (Royal Assent 29 April 2026); Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own laws. Before this date the rule in England, Wales and Northern Ireland covered nicotine vapes only; Scotland already covered nicotine-free vapes.

    It is also an offence for an adult to buy, or try to buy, these products for someone under 18. Fixed penalty notices of £200 apply in England, Wales and Scotland.

  • 29 October 2026In force

    Promotions offences

    It is an offence, in shops and online, to give away a vaping or nicotine product, or a coupon for one, where the purpose or effect is to promote it, or to sell one at a substantial discount for that purpose. Government guidance gives samples and sales at a nominal sum as examples.

Product and seller rules

Sizes
The tank of a refillable e-cigarette, and a pod or cartridge sold with nicotine liquid, may hold no more than 2 ml. A separate refill container may hold no more than 10 ml.
Nicotine strength
No more than 20 mg/ml in nicotine liquid sold in an e-cigarette or refill container.
Packaging
Child-resistant and tamper-evident. Each pack carries the required nicotine warning, covering 30% of its front and back, and a leaflet.
MHRA notification
A producer must notify the MHRA of each nicotine vape or refill container at least six months before supplying it, and it must be published on the MHRA’s list before it is sold. Notification is not approval: the MHRA says its role does not involve approving these products.
Online age checks
Trading Standards guidance says online sellers need an effective system to verify age, and that ticking a box, entering a date of birth or a general disclaimer is unlikely to be enough. This is guidance, not a statute.
Used vapes
Waste electrical equipment rules require sellers, online sellers included, to take back used vapes and vape parts such as pods, coils and batteries for recycling.

Planned, drafted or proposed

Items below are not yet law unless the status says a date is set. Dates and drafts can change.

  • 1 January 2027Date set

    Digital duty stamps only

    From this date only digital duty stamps, with a scannable code, may be fixed to vaping products made or imported from that point. Transitional stamps can be fixed only up to 31 December 2026.

  • 1 January 2027Draft

    Age-verification steps for sellers in England and Wales

    Draft regulations have been laid before Parliament under section 10 of the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026. They would set the steps that give a seller a defence to an underage-sale offence: inspecting physical photo ID showing a date of birth and a hologram or UV feature, or verifying digital ID through a provider registered on the government’s digital verification services register, at medium confidence or better.

    The proposed start is 1 January 2027. When this guide was checked the regulations had not been made, so confirm their status on legislation.gov.uk. Northern Ireland has no equivalent draft yet.

  • 1 April 2027Date set

    Unstamped vaping products can no longer be sold or held

    Stock produced or imported before 1 October 2026 may be sold without a stamp until 31 March 2027. From 1 April 2027 selling or holding unstamped vaping products is not allowed.

    Read the Vaping Products Duty guide

  • 1 June 2027Intended

    Advertising and sponsorship ban

    The government says it intends a comprehensive advertising and sponsorship ban for vaping and nicotine products, including online, to be in force from this date. The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 leaves the start date to regulations, which had not been made when this guide was checked.

  • No date setNot dated

    Retail licensing

    England: a personal licence to sell and a premises licence for premises used to store, expose or supply vaping products to retail customers, including premises that despatch orders. Wales: a licensing scheme starting on a day set by Welsh Ministers. Northern Ireland: the retailer register is being extended, with licensing to follow. Scotland already has a register of tobacco and nicotine vapour product retailers, which is being extended to nicotine products.

    Start dates had not been set when this guide was checked.

  • No date setProposed

    Packaging, flavour names and device appearance

    A consultation by the Department of Health and Social Care and the devolved governments closed on 2 October 2026. It proposed plain packaging; a single recognised flavour name instead of combined, concept, sensory, sweet, dessert or drink names; devices in one matt colour (white, black or grey) with no artwork or cosmetic lights; and display restrictions in shops.

    It proposed at least 12 months’ notice for packaging, flavours and devices, and at least 6 months for display. No government response had been found when this guide was checked.

Sources