Retailers Checking for valid IDs
Vermont Business Magazine Beginning this Sunday, September 1, retailers will no longer sell tobacco to consumers below the age of 21. The law applies to all tobacco products, tobacco substitutes, or tobacco paraphernalia; including vape products. There are no exemptions and salespeople will be checking for valid IDs.
The Legislature in April passed S.86, which increases the legal age for possessing and purchasing cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and other tobacco products from 18 to 21 years of age. Governor Scott signed the bill in early May.
“The choices people make are not something that we judge here, said Troy Kingsbury, owner of the Village Grocery in Waitsfield. “The fact is that smoking is a problem, but we’re also stepping into family boundaries. People should be making these decisions with their family members rather than the state. But, Retailers end up bearing the brunt of customer frustration, so given that it’s a law we’ve made sure our employees are aware of the increase in age. We’ve updated our signage, alerted our customers, and I’ve been speaking on the radio for the past two weeks to make sure people are aware of this change.”
“Preventing the sale of tobacco to minors is important to retailers across the state,” said Erin Sigrist, president of the Vermont Retail & Grocers Association. “And it shows in the nearly 92% compliance rate across Vermont (2018). We feel that it’s important to remind the public that this total ban on tobacco sales to anyone under 21 is happening this weekend and retailers are committed to following this change in law. This means that even if a customer has purchased tobacco products from the same store for years, beginning Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019 customers will be required to prove they are 21 before purchasing tobacco or tobacco paraphernalia.”
Further, with the change in ID processing in Vermont, customers must present an acceptable form of identification. Current acceptable forms of ID in Vermont are:
- Valid driver's license or non-driver identification card with a photo from Vermont or any other state or Foreign Jurisdiction.
- Valid passport or passport card
- Valid United States Military Identification Card
- The Vermont enhanced driver’s license
Temporary paper “licenses” issued by Vermont DMV cannot be used to verify age for the purchase tobacco.
While guidance for retailers has not yet been updated online by the designated agency, VRGA has provided an age verification document for store clerks to reference. Additionally, retailers are required to post a notice stating tobacco products will only be sold to those 21 and older. This information can be found at vtrga.org/Regulatory or by contacting the office directly at 802-839-1928.
About Vermont Retail & Grocers Association:
Vermont Retail & Grocers Association creates a unified voice for its engaged membership to influence legislation through lawmaker and public education. Their benefits are fundamental to their members’ economic success and to their positive community impact. VRGA is the leading voice representing Vermont’s retail industry. Their membership is inclusive of a variety of business types and models, collaborative and extremely diverse. Members, policymakers, community leaders and valued stakeholders recognize the association’s critical role in shaping legislation, improving the community, and contributing to each member’s success and the state’s economic vitality.”