Key Points
- The Russian State Duma's Economic Policy Committee has endorsed a bill for first reading, with plans to submit it for full chamber discussion on November 18.
- The bill proposes to implement a mandatory licensing system for the wholesale and retail trade of cigarettes, e-cigarettes (вейпы), and hookah products.
- The issuance of licenses is set to begin on March 1, 2026, with the selling of these products without a license becoming fully illegal starting on September 1, 2026.
- Wholesale licenses will be issued by the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Regulatory Authority, while retail licenses will be issued by regional governments.
2Firsts, November 14, 2025 - According to Russian media outlet Rosbalt, the Economic Policy Committee of the Russian State Duma has recommended to the State Duma a bill for debate in the first reading aimed at "legalizing the tobacco and nicotine products market." The bill stipulates that the wholesale and retail trade of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and waterpipe products will be subject to mandatory licensing, with licenses set to be issued starting from March 1, 2026 at the earliest.
Committee chair Maxim Topilin stated that the primary goal of this legislative initiative is to "increase market transparency and reduce the circulation of counterfeit products." He emphasized that the licensing system will bring positive economic effects to the country, including increased tax revenue.
According to the draft bill, wholesale licenses will be issued by the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Control Agency (Rosalkogoltabakkontrol), while retail licenses will be issued by regional governments. To apply for a license, businesses must meet two criteria: be registered with the product traceability system "Honest Sign" and have a minimum operating area of at least 5 square meters. Regional governments have the authority to increase the minimum area requirement to 10 square meters.
Artem Kiryanov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma's Economic Policy Committee, stated that he "firmly believes that a licensing system will significantly reduce violations of existing laws - including sales to minors." He added that the licensing system will effectively decrease the share of illegal products in the market: cigarettes by about 9.5% and the illegal share of so-called "e-cigarettes (вейпы)" by a conservative estimate of 67%, with industry assessments even exceeding 90%.
The bill will be implemented in stages.
Starting from March 1, 2026, licenses will be distributed; from September 1, 2026, operating without a license will be considered illegal; the transition period will continue until September 1, 2027, to allow businesses to adapt to the new regulations.
Image source: Rosbalt
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