September 30, 2024, marks the beginning of new certain tobacco age-of-sale requirements. As of this date, retailers must verify with a photo ID the age of anyone who is under the age of 30 who is trying to purchase tobacco and e-cigarette products.
Before this rule, retailers were required to check the ID of anyone under the age of 27. As another part of this new set of rules, retailers also are now prohibited from selling tobacco products via vending machines in facilities where anyone under the age of 21 are present or allowed to enter at any time. Before this change, retailers were prohibited from selling tobacco products via vending machines in facilities where people under 18 are present or allowed to enter at any time.
These new changes are part of the final rule that was announced on August 29, 2024, that raised the minimum age for certain restrictions on tobacco sales from 18 to 21 years of age. These new requirements are in line with legislation signed in December 2019 that raised the federal minimum age of sale of tobacco products in the U.S. from 18 to 21 years of age.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has created a helpful factsheet going over these new requirements. This informational sheet can be accessed by clicking here.