Elevating the federal minimal age for tobacco gross sales (and related merchandise) from 18 to 21 years previous didn’t deter 18-year-olds from carrying on with the vaping development. In accordance with Clear Steps Restoration, The age group 18-24 vapes essentially the most at 11% in comparison with different grownup age teams.
Tobacco Regulation 21, the regulation elevating the minimal age for vape gross sales, won’t utterly eradicate teen vaping within the nation, nevertheless it’s top-of-the-line methods legislators have devised.
Regardless that the common authorized age to purchase and use vape within the US is 21, some states have totally different age necessities altogether. On this information, we’re unearthing state-by-state legal guidelines on authorized vaping age, exemptions, and state-specific locations the place vaping is banned.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- The US Congress raised the authorized vaping age from 18 to 21 via Tobacco 21. Now, the federal age to purchase and use vape is 21 years previous, with some states exempting 18-year-olds energetic in army service.
- Thus far, Alaska is the one state with 19 because the minimal age for vaping, with many of the states adhering to the 21 age Tobacco regulation.
- Nicotine-free merchandise like hemp-derived e-liquids are nonetheless lined by Tobacco 21.
- The vast majority of the international locations worldwide have set the authorized vaping age to 18.
What’s the Authorized Age for Shopping for a Vape within the US?
Congress handed Tobacco 21 (T21) in December 2019, successfully elevating the minimal age for the consumption of e-cigarettes from 18 to 21 years previous. The stress to go T21 was from the rising teen vaping epidemic within the US, and the immense success pioneering states skilled from its implementation. |
In some unspecified time in the future, vaping has been perceived as a much less dangerous model of tobacco smoking, however this declare just isn’t totally absolved of dangers. Teams and well being advocates are significantly involved in regards to the danger of accelerating the probability of respiratory issues and dependency amongst customers.

T21 applies to the sale of tobacco merchandise, together with cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, hookah tobacco, e-liquids, e-cigarettes, pipe tobacco, and cigars.
It’s necessary to notice that in some states, like Alabama and Alaska, e-cigarettes or vapes aren’t thought of tobacco merchandise. Realizing whether or not e-cigarettes and tobacco merchandise are thought of the identical or totally different is necessary in offering readability of regulation.
Some states that don’t think about e-cigarettes as non-tobacco might doubtlessly be misinterpreted as permitting 18-year-old residents to vape. This loophole is a authorized problem and a melting pot for confusion. To be on the protected facet, all the time adhere to the T21 rule.
What Age Do You Should Be to Vape by State? : Age Restrict & Bans

It’s necessary to notice that the T21 regulation supersedes all state and native ordinances. This implies wherever you might be in America, when you’re not 21, don’t vape, and most shops received’t promote you one both.
However simply to offer you a glimpse of the patchwork of authorized vaping age in all 50 states, right here’s a desk itemizing every state’s authorized vaping age, the particular bans for vaping, and whether or not such states think about e-cigarettes underneath the tobacco class.
State | Authorized Vaping Age | Bans | Are E-cigs Thought-about Tobacco? |
Alabama | 21 | Licensed emergency medical suppliers and daycare facility staff. | No |
Alaska | 19 | Enclosed public areas or close to kids. | No |
Arizona | 18 | Foster properties or round foster kids. | No |
Arkansas | 18 | Faculties, childcare services, healthcare buildings, state school campuses, and state park buildings. | No |
California | 21+ or 18 years previous if within the energetic army | Youth jails, round minors, and in public areas. | Sure |
Colorado | 18 | Round minors, throughout driving assessments, and in assisted dwelling residences | Sure |
Connecticut | 18 | Authorities, well being, and meals industries. Banned in motels, round minors, and faculties | No |
Delaware | 18 | Anyplace | Sure |
Florida | 21 | Enclosed areas, automobiles, and buildings the place kids are round | No |
Georgia | 18 | Meals service workers | No |
Hawaii | 21 | All parks and College of Hawaii properties. | Sure |
Idaho | 18 | Banned to ship for these underneath 18 | No |
Illinois | 21 | Faculty campuses and on the Capitol Advanced | No |
Indiana | 18 | Not out there | Sure |
Iowa | 18 | State properties, public areas, the College of Iowa campus, and in foster properties | No |
Kansas | 18 | Juvenile corrections services and jails | No |
Kentucky | 18 | State executive-owned properties and automobiles. Banned in healthcare services, veteran parks, fairgrounds, freeway relaxation areas, underground mines, and for these working as childcare workers. | No |
Louisiana | 21 | Faculty properties | No |
Maine | 21 | Similar locations the place smoking is prohibited | Sure |
Maryland | 21 | Not out there | No |
Massachusetts | 21 | Kids’s camps and identical locations the place smoking is prohibited | Sure |
Michigan | 21 | A lot of the public locations | No |
Minnesota | 18 | Authorities premises, little one and healthcare premises, Minnesota schools, public faculties, and licensed medical services | Sure |
Mississippi | 18 | Not out there | No |
Missouri | 18 | Not out there | No |
Montana | 18 | Montana | No |
Nebraska | 18 | Public areas and locations of employment | No |
Nevada | 21 | Piercing retailers | No |
New Hampshire | 18 | Similar locations the place smoking is prohibited and in faculties | No |
New Jersey | 21 | The identical locations the place smoking is prohibited, kids’s group properties, and the Worldwide Airport. | Sure |
New Mexico | 21 | Similar locations the place smoking is prohibited | Sure |
North Carolina | 18 | Childcare facilities, childcare properties, jails, faculty property, and faculty occasions | Sure |
North Dakota | 18 | Nearly in every single place | No |
New York | 18 | Similar locations the place smoking is prohibited | No |
Ohio | 18 | Capitol buildings, tattoo salons, the College of Cincinnati, and different faculty campuses | No |
Oklahoma | 21 | Services used to deal with a number of psychological well being diseases | No |
Oregon | 21 | Similar locations the place smoking is prohibited | No |
Pennsylvania | 21 years previous, or 18 if within the army | Similar locations the place smoking is prohibited | Sure |
Rhode Island | 21 | Similar locations the place smoking is prohibited, correctional services, automobiles, and properties | Sure |
South Carolina | 18 | Ambulances | No |
South Dakota | 21 | Similar locations the place smoking is prohibited, and correctional services. | Sure |
Tennessee | 21 | Childcare facilities, neighborhood facilities, group care properties, healthcare services, museums, faculties, residential therapy services, zoos, and any faculty grounds | Sure |
Texas | 18 | Faculty-related actions, Division of Legal Justice services, childcare areas, or automobiles with kids | No |
Utah | 21 | Similar locations the place smoking is prohibited, and in automobiles | Sure |
Vermont | 21 | Similar locations the place smoking is prohibited, in automobiles with minors, childcare facilities, after-school actions, and in public faculties | No |
Virginia | 21 years previous, or 18 if within the army | Buses, faculty properties, and through faculty actions | No |
Wyoming | 21 | Childcare services whereas kids are current | Sure |
Wisconsin | 18 | State Truthful Park foremost stage and indoor buildings | No |
West Virginia | 18 | The identical locations the place smoking is prohibited, state-owned automobiles, and faculties. | Sure |
Washington State | 21 | Childcare buildings, playgrounds, faculties, and locations the place smoking is prohibited. | No |
How Outdated Do You Must Be to Vape Nicotine-Free Merchandise?
No matter whether or not a vape has nicotine or not, underneath The Deeming Rule, it’s unlawful for sellers to supply zero-nicotine e-liquid to anybody underneath the age of 21. The rule considers e-cigarettes and e-liquids as tobacco or elements of tobacco merchandise.
Since zero-nicotine merchandise can nonetheless be used as vessels of nicotine, it’s regulated as a tobacco product.
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Purchase a Vape On-line Underneath 21?
The one option to legally purchase vape on-line underneath 21 is to go to a rustic the place the minimal age to buy and use is under 21 years previous. Sneaky younger folks within the US get away by paying older individuals to purchase vapes for them or via faux IDs.
These underneath 21 years previous shouldn’t try and buy vape, even in on-line shops. Most vaping web sites now have age gates requiring guests to be 21 and over. Whereas anybody can simply lie about their age, this can be a sturdy indication that shops solely promote to 21-year-olds.
How Outdated Do You Should Be to Promote Vapes?
Nobody actually talks about how previous you must be to have the ability to promote vapes. You usually should be a minimum of 18 or 21 years previous to work at a US-based vape store; the specifics differ by state.
Aside from age, your retailer is answerable for solely promoting to these 21 years previous and up. All shops must undergo the Meals and Drug Administration’s (FDA) undercover compliance checks, retailer inspections, and non-compliance actions.
What Are the Penalties of Underage Vaping?
The implications of violating Tobacco 21 provisions are primarily geared toward sellers who provide vapes to individuals underneath the age of 21. Public Regulation 111–31 and 21 U.S.C. 387f(d) define the penalties charged for a violation dedicated to T21, which primarily embody fines, escalating sanctions, and potential revocation of a license to promote.
As for these vaping, whereas minor, the most important disadvantage is well being danger. The Nationwide Institute of Psychological Well being says the mind doesn’t end creating till about mid to late 20s. The thought is—that amongst youngsters, nicotine and related types of substances intrude with the rising mind and are typically dangerous to the lungs whatever the age bracket.
The Authorized Efforts in Pushing the Vaping and Smoking Age Qualification to 21
The motion to boost the minimal authorized age for the sale of tobacco, vapes, and related merchandise to 21 started in Needham, Massachusetts. In 4 years, Needham’s youth smoking charges decreased by half. Seeing the change, a surge of states, cities, and counties adopted go well with, implementing their very own T21 legal guidelines.
In December 2019, federal laws signed Tobacco 21 into regulation, which the FDA will implement. T21 is a chance for states to strengthen their very own minimal authorized age of vape gross sales and implement licensing amongst retailers of their jurisdiction.
🔖 You Would possibly To Learn Discover the curious world of vaping, beginning with dwell resin vapes. |
Worldwide Vaping Legal guidelines

Most international locations merely set the minimal age to legally vape as what they think about the “authorized age.” Nonetheless, there are nonetheless variations within the minimal age in provinces and cities. For instance, in Canada, the nationwide minimal age to vape is eighteen, however some provinces have a barely raised minimal age of 19. These subtleties are price a re-evaluation when visiting sure territories of a rustic as they might have totally different age {qualifications}.
Rapidly flick thru this desk to know the minimal age to vape among the many following international locations:
Nation | Authorized Vaping Age |
Belgium | 18 |
Bhutan | 18 |
Brazil | 18 |
Bulgaria | 18 |
Canada | 18 |
China | 18 |
Costa Rica | 18 |
Croatia | 18 |
Cyprus | 18 |
Denmark | 18 |
Ecuador | 18 |
England | 18 |
El Salvador | 18 |
Estonia | 18 |
Fiji | 18 |
Finland | 18 |
France | 18 |
Georgia | 18 |
Germany | 18 |
Greece | 18 |
Israel | 18 |
Italy | 18 |
Ivory Coast | 18 |
Lithuania | 18 |
Luxembourg | 18 |
Malaysia | 18 |
Maldives | 18 |
Malta | 18 |
Moldova | 18 |
Netherlands | 18 |
New Zealand | 18 |
Norway | 18 |
Papua New Guinea | 18 |
Paraguay | 18 |
Poland | 18 |
Portugal | 18 |
San Marino | 18 |
Saudi Arabia | 18 |
Scotland | 18 |
Senegal | 18 |
Slovenia | 18 |
South Africa | 18 |
Sweden | 18 |
Tajikistan | 18 |
Togo | 18 |
Tuvalu | 18 |
Ukraine | 18 |
Vietnam | 18 |
Wales | 18 |
Jordan | 19 |
South Korea | 19 |
Turkey | 19 |
Japan | 20 |
Ethiopia | 21 |
Guam | 21 |
Honduras | 21 |
Niue | 21 |
Palau | 21 |
Philippines | 21 |
United States | 21 |
Wrapping Up
Whereas placing an age restriction on vaping appears to be a boon for some, it’s a necessary measure to curb the excessive charges of juvenile vaping within the nation. Don’t shortcut the system. It’s higher to attend till you’re 21 to vape.
If, on the upside, you’re at that age already, you’re in luck. The Hemp Physician gives nicotine-free disposables and cartridges appropriate for rookies. We additionally promote non-vape merchandise like edibles, gummies, and drinks if you would like a long-lasting hemp-derived cannabinoid expertise.
Flick thru our assortment of THCA, Delta 8, HHC, and blended vapes in numerous sizes to suit your present wants.
Disclaimer: Whereas we try to replace our blogs with essentially the most correct and newest data, our blogs aren’t authorized recommendation. All the time seek the advice of with a lawyer. |
FAQs
How previous do you must be to legally vape?
You need to be a minimum of 21 years previous to vape wherever within the US legally.
Do you must be 21 to purchase a vape?
Sure. Most vaping shops want you to be a minimum of 21 to be bought a product.
Can 18-year-olds purchase vapes?
No, however in some situations, teenagers can purchase vapes, principally in doubtful methods.
Is It unlawful to personal a vape underneath 21?
Sure. The federal minimal age to personal a vape has already been raised to 21 years previous.
Is it unlawful to vape at 14?
Do you must be 18 to make use of a vape?
You need to be a minimum of 21 years previous to make use of a vape.
Do you must be 21 to purchase a non-nicotine vape?
Sure. Zero-nicotine vapes are additionally thought of underneath the Tobacco product class.
How previous do you must be to vape juice?
It is advisable to be a minimum of 21 years previous.
How previous do you must be to vape in Florida?
How previous do you must be to vape in California?
21 and older or a minimum of 18 years previous if energetic within the army.
How previous do you must be to purchase vapes?
Similar because the age requirement for utilizing vapes. At the least 21 years previous.
Is there a restrict on how a lot you should buy at dispensary?
Verify along with your native state legal guidelines on how a lot THC or nicotine in mg you should buy.
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