Single-use vapes ban: what businesses need to do
Guidance for businesses preparing for the ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes from 1 June 2025.
From 1 June 2025, it is illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use vapes. It is also illegal to offer to sell or supply single-use vapes, or to stock single-use vapes that you plan to sell or supply. Single-use vapes are also known as disposable vapes.
The ban applies to:聽
- sales online and in shops聽
- all vapes whether or not they contain nicotine聽
You must arrange to recycle any leftover stock of single-use vapes from 1 June 2025. You can still sell and supply vapes that are reusable.
.
Who the ban applies to
The ban applies to all businesses and organisations that sell or supply single-use vapes in the UK. This includes:聽
- retailers 바카라 사이트� such as convenience stores, market stalls, petrol stations, specialist vape shops and supermarkets
- manufacturers聽
- wholesalers
- importers
- healthcare settings and stop smoking services
Definition of single-use and reusable vapes
Single-use vapes are not designed or intended for reuse. A vape is single-use if it either:
- has a battery you cannot recharge
- is not refillable
To be reuseable, a vape must have a:聽
- rechargeable聽battery
- refillable container that holds the vaping e-liquid (such as a chamber, capsule, cartridge, pod or tank)
- removable and replaceable coil (if the vape contains a coil)
Refill requirements for reusable vapes
Reusable vapes can be refillable by either:
- filling up the tank or cartridge with e-liquid
- inserting new, pre-filled pods
Refills (pods or e-liquid refill bottles) should be separately available for users to buy.
Coil requirements for reusable vapes
Some reusable vapes have a coil (which produces heat and vaporises the e-liquid). If there is a coil, it must be removable and replaceable by the vape user.
Reusable vapes can have coils that are either:
- directly removable and replaceable
- contained in a removable and replaceable pod or cartridge聽
The coil (whether part of a replacement pod or tank, or not) should be separately available to buy.
If you바카라 사이트檙e not sure a vape is reusable
It is your responsibility to check the products you sell or supply are legal and meet the definition of a reusable vape.
Check the definitions of single-use and reusable vapes first. If you바카라 사이트檙e still not sure a vape is reusable, you can contact your local Trading Standards聽for advice.
Providing evidence during inspections
You must assist the enforcing authority and provide any information or evidence they ask for during an inspection.
You must be able to:
- provide evidence that the product is legal and reusable, and of the steps you took to check
- demonstrate that vape users can separately buy individual refill items for the vaping items you stock (including pods or e-liquid refill bottles) 바카라 사이트� such as by providing these items in your shop or online store
You have a legal right to ask enforcement and regulatory officers for formal photographic identification (ID). This usually includes their name and the local authority and department they work for.
Regulation and enforcement: what happens if you sell single-use vapes from 1 June 2025
How the ban is enforced varies between the UK바카라 사이트檚 4 nations and is specific to where your business operates.
England聽
Each local authority바카라 사이트檚 Trading Standards leads on enforcing the ban within their area. Contact your local Trading Standards service if you:
- suspect that someone is supplying single-use vapes
- have questions about following the ban바카라 사이트檚 rules or how it is enforced
In the first instance, Trading Standards will apply civil sanctions (non-criminal penalties). For example, a:聽
- stop notice聽
- compliance notice聽
- fine of 拢200聽
Trading Standards can seize any single-use vapes they find.
If you continue to stock, sell or supply single-use vapes (or offer to), you may be charged with:
- an unlimited fine
- a prison sentence of up to 2 years
You may also receive an additional cost recovery notice. This means you must pay the costs incurred by Trading Standards while investigating your offence, including investigative, administrative and legal costs.
Wales
Local authorities in Wales lead on enforcing the ban. Contact your local authority or Trading Standards service if you:
- suspect that someone is supplying single-use vapes
- have questions about following the ban바카라 사이트檚 rules or how it is enforced
Enforcement authorities may apply civil sanctions, such as:
- a fixed fine of 拢200 or a variable fine of more than 拢200
- an enforcement cost recovery notice聽
- a non-compliance penalty
- a stop notice
Alternatively, you could be tried in a magistrates바카라 사이트� court or Crown Court.
You may be given an unlimited fine and prison sentence of up to 6 months if:
- you바카라 사이트檙e found guilty in a magistrates바카라 사이트� court of stocking, selling or supplying single-use vapes
- you fail to follow a stop notice
You may be given a prison sentence of up to 2 years and an unlimited fine if you바카라 사이트檙e found guilty in a Crown Court of one of these offences.
You may need to pay an unlimited fine if you바카라 사이트檙e found guilty in a magistrates바카라 사이트� court of:
- obstructing an enforcement officer
- failing to follow an enforcement officer바카라 사이트檚 requests
Scotland聽
Local authorities in Scotland lead on enforcing the ban. They report criminal cases to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, who are responsible for prosecuting offences under the regulations. Contact your local authority or Trading Standards service if you:
- suspect that someone is supplying single-use vapes
- have questions about following the ban바카라 사이트檚 rules or how it is enforced
Enforcement officers can issue a fixed penalty notice instead of criminal prosecution. The fixed penalty amount is 拢200 for a first offence. This is discounted to 拢150 if paid within 14 days.聽
The fixed penalty amounts and discounts are different for people who have had enforcement action taken against them in the previous 3 years. These amounts are set out in Table 1.
Table 1: Fixed penalty amounts and discounts for different numbers of previous enforcement actions
| Number of previous enforcement actions | Amount of fixed penalty (拢) | Discounted amount (拢) |
|---|---|---|
| One | 400 | 350 |
| Two | 600 | 550 |
| Three | 800 | 750 |
A person may be reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for prosecution if:
- they do not accept the offer of a fixed penalty notice
- the enforcement officer does not consider it appropriate to issue a fixed penalty notice
Maximum penalties for offences in Scotland
If you바카라 사이트檙e found guilty of stocking or supplying a single-use vape (or offering to):
- on summary conviction you바카라 사이트檒l be subject to a fine of up to level 5 (currently 拢5,000) on the standard scale聽
- on conviction on indictment, you바카라 사이트檒l be subject to up to 2 years in prison or a fine, or both
If you fail to comply with an enforcement requirement without a reasonable excuse, you바카라 사이트檒l be subject on summary conviction to a fine of up to level 5 (currently 拢5,000) on the standard scale.
You바카라 사이트檒l be subject on summary conviction to a fine of up to level 3 (currently 拢1,000) on the standard scale if you:
- fail to provide your identification details to an enforcement officer
- give false or inaccurate identification details to an enforcement officer
Northern Ireland聽
The enforcement mechanism is different in Northern Ireland from other parts of the UK. There are no civil sanctions for this offence and the following penalties apply.聽
If you바카라 사이트檙e found guilty of stocking or supplying single-use vapes (or offering to), you may receive a fine of up to 拢5,000 on summary conviction in a magistrates바카라 사이트� court. On further conviction of this offence in a Crown Court, you may face a prison sentence of up to 2 years, a fine, or both.聽
If you fail to provide information that an enforcement body asks for, you may receive a fine of up to 拢5,000 on summary conviction in a magistrates바카라 사이트� court.聽
Recycling vapes바카라 사이트�
Vapes are electrical items, whether they are single-use or reuseable. This means they are covered by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations.
If you sell vapes (are a 바카라 사이트榙istributor바카라 사이트�), you must offer a 바카라 사이트榯ake back바카라 사이트� service. This means you must accept vapes and vape parts (such as used pods, coils or batteries) that customers return for recycling.聽
This includes any single-use vapes returned by customers after the ban begins on 1 June 2025.바카라 사이트�
The Office for Product Safety and Standards may take action against you if you do not have a way to safely recycle vapes and vape parts.
Unsafe storage of vapes or improper disposal is a fire risk. Vapes should be disposed of in vape bins only and regularly collected for recycling.聽
What to do with leftover stock of single-use vapes
You cannot sell or supply any single-use vapes to customers from 1 June 2025. You must arrange for any leftover stock to be recycled.
If you have vape bin services, you should recycle vapes through the company they provide. You may need to pay a fee.
You put your business at risk of commercial loss and legal enforcement action if you do not responsibly recycle single-use vape stocks by 1 June 2025.
To prepare for the ban, you should:聽
- stop buying new stock of single-use vapes
- sell through all existing stock
- buy vapes that follow the new regulations聽
If you have any leftover single-use vapes, from 1 June 2025 you need to:聽
- separate them from other goods聽
- label them as unsellable
- remove them from your shop floor or online store until they are collected by a registered vape recycling service聽
Other restrictions on vaping products聽
Vapes on the market must also follow other relevant regulations, such as:聽
- the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Chemicals Regulations (2015)聽
- the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR)聽
- waste regulations that apply to electrical equipment and batteries 바카라 사이트� this includes the Batteries and Accumulators (Placing on the Market) Regulations 2008 and related legislation聽
Read guidance on these additional restrictions for:聽
Several government agencies work together to regulate and enforce the regulations on vapes. They include:聽
- Border Force聽
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)聽
- Trading Standards聽
Online resources聽
Environment Agency guidance on how to dispose of business waste.
Updates to this page
-
We've simplified this guidance to make it easier to understand. There are no factual changes. The English language version has been updated and the Welsh language translation will follow.
-
We have updated the 'If you get caught selling or supplying a single-use vape from 1 June 2025' section to reflect changes to Scottish and Welsh enforcement.
-
Clarified that this guidance is for any business or organisation that supplies single-use vapes, as well as for any business that sells them.
-
Clarified definition of a reusable vape.
-
Added translation