U.S. bans on flavored vapes and online sales

Most vape bans in the U.S. happen at the state and local levels. And while a few California cities—notably San Francisco—have banned outright the sale of all vaping products, most American vape restrictions involve flavors and online sales. There are only a few of each, despite the large number of vaping bans that have been proposed in state legislatures in recent years.

California - flavor ban 

California banned in-store sales of flavored vapes—with or without nicotine—in 2022. Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, the state will also prohibit online sales, and will include all forms of nicotine and nicotine analogs in the ban.

Arkansas - online sales ban

Tobacco permits issued to Arkansas businesses only allow face-to-face transactions, so online sales are prohibited

District of Columbia (D.C.) - flavor ban

The D.C. city council passed a flavor ban on all vaping and tobacco products in 2021.

Georgia - online sales ban

Georgia allows only face-to-face retail transactions of vaping products, so online sales are prohibited

Hawaii - online sales ban from out of state

Hawaii bans online sales from outside the state, except to licensed retailers

Maine - online sales ban

Maine bans online sales, except between licensed businesses

Massachusetts - flavor ban

The first statewide flavor ban was passed in late 2019 by Massachusetts. It includes all tobacco products, and prohibits sales of all vape flavors except tobacco

Nebraska - online sales ban

Nebraska bans online sales, except between licensed businesses (law effective July 19, 2024)

New Jersey - flavor ban

New Jersey’s ban covers all flavors except tobacco. Legislators decided not to ban menthol cigarettes after realizing how much tax revenue the state would lose

New York - flavor ban + online sales ban

The New York flavor ban, which covers all flavors except tobacco, was passed in April 2020. The state also adopted an online sales ban (of all vaping products) at the same time

Oregon - online sales ban

Oregon bans online sales, except between licensed businesses

Rhode Island - flavor ban

In March 2020, then-governor Gina Raimondo bypassed the state legislature and used the Department of Health to create a permanent ban on all vape flavors except tobacco. In 2024, the legislature converted the ban from a health department rule to a law

South Dakota - online sales ban

Shipping of all tobacco products (including vapes) is prohibited in South Dakota

Utah - flavor ban + online sales ban

Utah bans online sales, except between licensed businesses. In March 2024, the state passed a ban on vape flavors (other than tobacco and menthol), which will take effect Jan. 1, 2025

Vermont - online sales ban

Vermont bans online sales, except between licensed businesses

Major cities with flavor bans include Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Oakland and San Jose, CA; and Boulder, CO. Hundreds of smaller cities and counties—mostly in California and Massachusetts—have flavor bans, as do some larger cities whose bans have since been superseded by state bans (like New York City and Newark, NJ)

Complete bans on vaping product sales have been adopted by San Francisco and some smaller California cities. Brookline, Massachusetts has passed a so-called generational ban on tobacco and nicotine product sales (including vapes). The city increases the legal age to buy nicotine products by one year each year. No one born after Dec. 31, 1999, can ever buy nicotine products legally in Brookline.