Is NC’s Vape Ban Working?

NC’s vape ban sparked a frenzy. But is it even being enforced?

In July 2025, panic broke out amid vapers. Unauthorized vape products (Read: most disposable products) were set to disappear from NC shelves thanks to a quietly passed bill signed by former Gov. Roy Cooper the year prior. 

But was the panic necessary? A year later, the state is still shifting plans to implement that promise—and has done little to enforce it so far. 

In Dec. 2025, the NC Department of Revenue—who were responsible for compliance checks and enforcement up until July—reported only eight inspections at vape retailers in Raleigh, with violations found at every one. Inspectors discovered 24,773 unauthorized products, but the report listed $0 in penalties assessed or collected. Revenue blamed “limited resources.”

To put that into perspective, Wake County currently has ~800 tobacco retailers. 

The law itself is straightforward: Vapor products not listed in the directory shouldn’t purchased or sold in NC—period. Effectively upholding it has proved to be more complicated. 

Since July 7, state and local law enforcement—including ALE, the State Bureau of Investigation, the NC Department of Justice and local police and sheriff’s departments—have been authorized to conduct compliance checks.

The SBI coordinates enforcement, and every retailer, distributor and wholesaler selling vapor products is now subject to at least one unannounced compliance check each year. If inspectors find a violation, they must return for a follow-up inspection within 30 days. 

The new system has only been in place since July, and its annual inspection requirement has yet to reach its first deadline. 

Penalties are getting steeper too, but whether they will make a difference is completely reliant on enforcement. 

Beginning Oct. 1, a first violation will carry a $500 to $750 fine, a mandatory reinspection within 30 days, and a 30-day license suspension, according to the NC General Assembly. Unauthorized products may also be seized and destroyed. A second or subsequent violation could bring a fine of up to $1,500 and license revocation. 

So, after another year of thousands of unauthorized vapes sitting on Raleigh shelves, NC is entering its next attempt at enforcement—and hoping it proves more effective.

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