Tobacco and Vapes licensing regime delayed until 2027

The Government has provided a recent update on the timeline for the start of consultation for the licensing regime to regulate the retail sale of tobacco, vapes and nicotine products.

Unfortunately, the start of the consultation will now be pushed into 2027.

The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 will give England, Wales and Northern Ireland the power to introduce a licensing process.

The work being done by Government to analyse the responses received during a call for evidence between October and December 2025 is ongoing. This call for evidence covered options for models for licensing and support for compliant retailers while also addressing enforcement against illicit sales.

Parts of the Act including regulations around packaging/retail displays are being implemented earlier and separately to the licensing process.

The provisions around the “smoke-free generation” are scheduled to commence in January 2027 followed by the advertising and sponsorship ban for vapes and nicotine products in June 2027.

For more information, please feel free to contact any of our licensing solicitors on 0115 953 8500.

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