By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
New framework: Virginia will implement new laws requiring vape shop registration, licensing, and inspections.
Enforcement teeth: Violators are subject to fines and possible license revocation, under AG supervision.
Delayed rollout: The law will take effect in 2027 pending reapproval, allowing regulators time to prepare.
Virginia is giving itself more muscle to police the vape market—but it’s not pulling the trigger just yet. State lawmakers this week approved the Vape Enforcement Act, a measure that will require vape retailers to register with the state, undergo inspections, and face penalties—including losing their licenses—if they sell illegal products.
The law received praise from Attorney General Jay Jones, who emphasized that enforcement will be a priority once the framework is in place. “We are funded to do this, and we have the resources and tools to hold these shop owners accountable,” Jones said. “If they continue to break the law, they’re going to lose their licenses. It’s a really simple thing; if the products are not legal you cannot sell them.”
The measure, sponsored by Delegate Patrick Hope and Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg, transfers oversight of vape retail to a more formal regulatory system, placing licensing, permitting, and inspections under the state’s alcohol authority.
Supporters say the goal is about restricting youth access. “You’re having kids bringing them in, sharing them, using them in the bathroom, using them in the hallway,” VanValkenburg said. “I think the real important part is stopping it before they get access to it.”
The law, however, won’t take effect until 2027 and will require lawmakers to approve it again before full implementation—giving regulators time to develop enforcement systems and retailers time to adapt. Industry advocates are already pushing back.
Tony Abboud of the Vapor Technology Association argued that vaping products play a role in harm reduction. “Everybody knows it’s the cigarettes that are killing half a million Americans and thousands of Virginians every year,” Abboud said.
