UK Vape Licensing Scheme: What It Means for Vapers and the Industry

What Is the UK Vape Licensing Scheme?

The UK vape licensing scheme is a proposed mandatory system that would require every business selling vaping products in the UK to hold a valid retail licence before they can legally trade. It forms part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which was introduced in the House of Commons on 5 November 2024 and is currently progressing through Parliament.

Under the proposed scheme, retailers and distributors would be required to register with a designated licensing body, demonstrate compliance with age-verification standards, and ensure the products they sell meet UK regulatory requirements. Licensed retailers would be listed on a publicly accessible national register.

The framework applies to all businesses selling vaping products, including vape shops, convenience stores, petrol stations, supermarkets, online retailers, and wholesalers.

Why Is a Licensing Scheme Being Introduced?

The proposed licensing scheme has been developed in response to longstanding gaps in the current enforcement model for vaping product sales in the UK.

At present, retailers in the UK are not required to hold a specific licence to sell vaping or tobacco products. They are instead expected to comply with age-of-sale regulations, product standards, and promotional restrictions. In practice, this framework has shown significant limitations.

A review of business compliance conducted by Trading Standards in England between February and March 2022 found that out of 442 tests on businesses, illegal sales were made on 145 occasions, representing an overall non-compliance rate of 33%.

Trading Standards teams enforce laws across a wide range of areas, from food standards to product safety, which limits the resources available for dedicated vape enforcement. Existing fines for non-compliance have been widely considered insufficient to act as a meaningful deterrent, with calls for court-imposed penalties to increase from £2,500 to £10,000.

The scheme is also a response to the volume of non-compliant products entering the UK market. The UK market has been affected by oversized disposable vapes, untested liquids, and products that do not meet MHRA notification requirements.

What Does the Tobacco and Vapes Bill Include?

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024 provides the legal powers needed to introduce a vape licensing scheme in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and to strengthen the existing retail register in Scotland.

Beyond licensing, the Bill also includes provisions to:

• Create the first smoke-free generation by ensuring children born on or after 1 January 2009 can never be legally sold tobacco
• Ban vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately branded, promoted, and advertised to children
• Strengthen enforcement activity around underage sales and non-compliant products
• Provide powers to restrict flavours, packaging, and advertising that may appeal to under-18s, subject to further consultation

The Bill received its second reading in the House of Commons on 26 November 2024, passing by 415 votes to 47. It progressed to the House of Lords on 27 March 2025, passed its second reading there on 23 April 2025, and entered the committee stage in October 2025.

How Would the Licensing Scheme Work?

The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) developed a Retail and Distributor Licensing Framework that has informed the scheme’s proposed structure. The framework breaks down into the following areas.

Licensing and Fees. The proposed annual licence fee ranges from £750 to £1,000 depending on the size and type of business. Based on current retailer numbers across specialist vape shops, convenience stores, and supermarkets, the scheme is estimated to generate over £50 million annually. This exceeds the Government’s separate £30 million pledge to enforcement agencies and is funded by the industry rather than the taxpayer.

Compliance Requirements. Licence holders would be required to maintain robust age-verification procedures, ensure all products are MHRA-registered and sourced from compliant supply chains, and adhere to standards on marketing and advertising practices.

Penalties and Enforcement. Retailers caught selling without a licence could face fines of up to £10,000. Distributors operating without a licence face penalties of up to £100,000. A tiered enforcement model would range from formal warnings through to full licence revocation for serious or repeated breaches.

Supply Chain Traceability. Distributors would be required to maintain documented supply-chain records to ensure that only legally compliant, MHRA-notified products reach UK retailers and consumers.

What Are the Expected Outcomes?

The stated objectives of the licensing scheme cover four broad areas.

The scheme aims to create a sustainable and self-funded base for enforcement and inspection functions relating to the vape sector. It is designed to foster greater accountability across the industry by tackling youth access and illicit product sales. It would also better enable regulators and Trading Standards to enforce both existing and future legislation. Finally, it supports the UK Government’s Smokefree 2030 ambition by protecting the legitimate harm-reduction role that vaping plays for adult smokers.

Revenue generated beyond enforcement costs could be directed towards government initiatives such as youth education programmes, vape recycling schemes, or NHS stop smoking services.

When Will the Vape Licensing Scheme Come Into Effect?

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is currently in the later stages of its parliamentary journey. The licensing system is expected to begin rolling out between 2025 and 2026, with full enforcement likely commencing in 2027. Retailers are advised to review their age-verification procedures, supply-chain documentation, and compliance policies in preparation.

Separately, the UK Government has confirmed the introduction of a Vaping Products Duty from 1 October 2026, representing an additional regulatory development for the industry.

Summary

The UK vape licensing scheme is a forthcoming regulatory change that will require all vape retailers and distributors to hold a valid licence to trade. Underpinned by the Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024, it introduces a structured, industry-funded enforcement model designed to address underage vaping, reduce illegal product sales, and raise compliance standards across the sector. Full enforcement is expected by 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a licence to sell vapes in the UK? Not yet. At present, there is no mandatory vape retail licence required to sell vaping products in the UK. Retailers are currently expected to comply with age-of-sale regulations, product standards under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, and MHRA notification requirements. However, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024 includes powers to introduce a mandatory licensing scheme, which is expected to come into effect around 2027. Once introduced, all businesses selling vaping products will be required to hold a valid licence to trade legally.

Will vapes become illegal in the UK? No, vapes will not become illegal in the UK. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill focuses on regulating how vaping products are sold, marketed, and enforced, not on banning vaping itself. Disposable vapes have already been banned in the UK from June 2025, but rechargeable and refillable vaping products remain legal for adult use. The Government’s stated position is that vaping is a harm-reduction tool for adult smokers, and the regulatory framework is designed to protect access to legal products while removing non-compliant ones from the market.

Are vapes over 600 puffs illegal in the UK? Under the current Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, e-cigarette tanks and pods are limited to a maximum capacity of 2ml, which typically equates to around 600 puffs. Single-use disposable vapes exceeding this capacity do not comply with UK regulations and are therefore illegal to sell. Devices marketed as delivering significantly higher puff counts than this limit are non-compliant products. Trading Standards has the authority to seize such products, and retailers found selling them face enforcement action. This is one of the key issues the proposed licensing scheme is designed to address more effectively.

What vapes are legal to sell in the UK? Vaping products that are legal to sell in the UK must meet the requirements set out in the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. This includes e-liquids containing nicotine being limited to a maximum strength of 20mg per ml, tanks and pods having a maximum capacity of 2ml, and all nicotine-containing products being notified to the MHRA before they can be placed on the market. Devices must also meet safety and quality standards, including appropriate labelling and packaging requirements. Refillable pod kits, vape mods, tanks, and nicotine salt and freebase e-liquids that meet these standards are all legal to sell and purchase in the UK.

Can I carry a vape to the UK? Yes. You can bring a vape into the UK for personal use when travelling. There is no restriction on carrying a personal vaping device into the country. However, the same rules that apply to liquids in carry-on baggage apply to e-liquids on flights, meaning containers must be 100ml or under and placed in a clear resealable bag. Lithium batteries in vaping devices must be carried in hand luggage rather than checked bags, in line with standard airline policy. It is also worth noting that you cannot use a vaping device in aircraft cabins. When importing vaping products commercially into the UK, MHRA notification requirements and product compliance standards apply.