27 May 2025
The sale of all disposable vapes will be banned across the UK from 1 June 2025 with all retailers, including independents, having until then to sell any remaining stock.
It will be illegal for any retailer, including convenience stores, supermarkets, market stalls, petrol stations, and specialist vape shops, to “sell, supply, offer for sale, or possess for sale” any single-use vape product from the start of June. The ban applies to both nicotine and non-nicotine disposable vapes, whether sold in shops or online.
Businesses that continue to offer banned products will face enforcement by local Trading Standards in England, Wales and Scotland, or relevant authorities in Northern Ireland when the restrictions come into force. Initial penalties in most parts of the UK will include stop notices, compliance notices and fines starting at £200, but repeated or serious breaches could result in unlimited fines, prison sentences of up to two years, or both, according the Government.
Authorities such as Trading Standards, Border Force, the MHRA and the Office for Product Safety and Standards will collaborate to identify and penalise offenders, while in England Trading Standards officers will lead enforcement and have the power to seize illegal products.
Wales and Scotland have similar civil enforcement powers, with Northern Ireland able to use a fully criminal enforcement approach with fines of up to £5,000 on summary conviction or imprisonment on further offences.
To remain compliant, retailers must only sell reusable vapes – defined as those that are both rechargeable and refillable. Reusable vapes must allow the user to separately replace e-liquid, pods and coils, with components available to purchase individually in-store or online.
Retailers must also ensure that vaping products listed on the MHRA's notified products list meet the definition of reusable and be able to show evidence of legal compliance.
Government guidance warns businesses not to buy more stock of disposable vapes and to arrange for the safe recycling of any unsold products after 1 June.
For full details on the ban and how to comply, visit the official Government guidance below.
View the full guidance
Click here for the official Government guidance for businesses preparing for the ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes from 1 June 2025.
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