North Carolina Enforces Comprehensive E-Cigarette Regulations: Unlisted Products Banned Starting July

【2Firsts news flash】On July 1st, new regulations for the regulation of "Vapor Products" and "Consumable Products" went into full effect in North Carolina as approved by the state legislature under House Bill 900. The bill, which was passed on May 1, 2025, requires a public product catalog to be published, and retailers have 60 days from the publication date to sell or return any products in their inventory that are not listed in the catalog. Any products not listed in the official state government catalog will not be allowed to be sold within the state.

The core of this bill is the establishment of a publicly accessible product directory developed and maintained by the state Department of Revenue. According to section 143B-245.12 of the bill, this directory lists all e-cigarette manufacturers and their products that have been certified and approved for sale in the state.

According to Section 143B-245.11 of the law, manufacturers are required to submit certification to the state tax department to prove that their products meet one of the following conditions:

• ·The product has already received a "marketing granted order" from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under federal law 21 U.S.C.387j(c). 
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• ·A "Timely Filed Premarket Tobacco Product Application" has been submitted for the product, which is still under FDA review, or any refusal orders received have been temporarily stayed by the court or the FDA.

The state tax department released the catalog on May 1, 2025. According to Section 143B-245.13 of the law, retailers have 60 days from the date of the catalog's release to sell or return products in their inventory that are not listed in the catalog. The grace period officially ended on June 30, 2025.

Starting from July 1st, any sales, distribution, or wholesale of products not listed in the catalog will face penalties under the law. Specific measures include:

• ·For retailers, distributors, or wholesalers: A first offense will result in a warning; a second offense within 12 months will incur a fine of $500 to $750 and potential suspension of license for 30 days; a third offense or more will result in a fine of $1,000 to $1,500 and license revocation. 
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• ·Product handling: all non-compliant products will be seized, confiscated, and destroyed. 
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• ·For manufacturers: If a manufacturer sells unlisted products within the state, they will face civil fines of $10,000 per product.