According to Virginia Scope’s report, since April 1st, e-cigarette stores in Virginia can only sell e-liquids and vaping products that are listed in the state’s directory.
Starting from April 1st, electronic cigarette products not included in the state’s directory are prohibited from being sold any further.
The Office of the Attorney General of Virginia has advised federal district attorneys across the country to commence the enforcement of this law, which was passed in 2024.
Attorney General Jay Jones stated that e-cigarette stores have previously been able to sell unregulated products without facing penalties, and these products have been documented to have negative health effects on both adults and minors.
The Virginia Retail Association suggests that store operators check the state directory to ensure that the products they sell are included in the directory. They should remove the products that are not listed from the shelves and return them to the manufacturers, and record each step of the process.
According to the regulations, if retailers continue to sell products that are not included in the catalogue, they will be fined $1,000 per product per day until the product is removed from the shelves or added to the catalogue.
The court proceedings led to delays in the execution, and the grace period was eventually extended until April 1st.
In December 2025, Federal Judge David J. Novak issued a preliminary injunction on this law, allowing companies to continue selling unregistered nicotine products without facing penalties. In early February 2026, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals of the United States approved the suspension of this injunction.
The law originally stipulated that a 60-day grace period would be granted to the nicotine industry starting from the launch of the registered brand directory on January 1st.
Jay Jones sent a letter to manufacturers, retailers and distributors last week, stating that due to the confusion surrounding the ban, his office has decided to extend the grace period until April 1st, instead of ending it as originally scheduled on March 3rd after 60 days.
The letter states that this adjustment period is designed to ensure that all affected parties have sufficient time to comply with the law.
The Virginia state legislature has also passed a new bill aimed at further strengthening law enforcement.
The report also states that the Virginia State Assembly has taken further measures this year to restrict the use of liquid nicotine products by minors. The identical HB 308 and SB 620 together constitute the Vape Enforcement Act.
The bill proposes to transfer the enforcement and licensing responsibilities for nicotine products from the tax department to the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Board, and requires inspections to be conducted every 24 months to ensure that retail stores do not sell tobacco products to individuals under the age of 21.
One of the bill’s sponsors, State Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg, said that stores should not sell products to minors and should not sell illegal goods; if they do so, they should be punished.
These bills have been passed by the Virginia State Assembly and are currently awaiting action by Governor Abigail Spanberger.