Tennessee Cracks Down on Vaping: 10 % Tax Hike, Expanded Enforcement Powers, Mandatory ID Checks at Every Retail Counter

Tennessee is tightening the screws on e-cigarettes. While state-level amendments take effect, retailers in cities such as Jackson are rolling out tougher age-verification and product-control measures aimed at keeping vapes away from minors and ensuring every device sold is fully traceable.

During the most recent legislative session lawmakers worked with the Department of Revenue and the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) to overhaul the state’s vape rules. The package adds a 10 % excise tax on all e-cigarette products and gives TABC officers the power to inspect stores and issue misdemeanor citations for violations.

A first-time sale to anyone under 21 now carries a USD 2 500 penalty; a second offense jumps to at least USD 20 000 and “license revocation.” The catch: Tennessee does not currently require a retail license to sell vapes, so there is nothing to revoke. Bill sponsor Rep. David Hawk says both Revenue and TABC agree the language is unworkable; he intends to introduce a clean-up bill next session to create an actual licensing scheme so the penalties can be enforced.

Even with the loophole, Hawk argues the new statute has already ratcheted up scrutiny. TABC’s initial round of undercover checks found a 20.8 % non-compliance rate statewide, proof, he says, that minors can still buy products in brick-and-mortar stores. The heightened inspection schedule, he adds, has at least put the issue in the spotlight.

Stephanie Strutner, CEO of the Prevention Alliance of Tennessee, says the tax alone is not enough. She is urging the General Assembly to adopt a comprehensive tobacco retail license, noting that “when fines are paired with a license that can be suspended or revoked, compliance rates climb dramatically across the country.”

Communities are not waiting. Several vape outlets in Jackson have installed fake-ID detectors, require every customer—regulars included—to show government-issued ID, and log every item sold in a searchable database so any device can be traced back to the exact transaction.

Local reaction is mixed. Some residents welcome the crackdown, citing health worries about vaping; others who use the products themselves still agree that keeping them away from teenagers deserves tougher rules.

Cover image: screen grab from WYBC video