The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 7 : Alcoholic Beverages, Cannabis, and Tobacco

Chapter 040 : Tobacco Products

• § 1007. Furnishing tobacco to individuals under 21 years of age; penalties; report

  (a)(1) An individual who sells or furnishes tobacco products, tobacco substitutes, or tobacco paraphernalia to an individual under 21 years of age shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $150.00 for the first offense and not more than $500.00 for any subsequent offense. An action under this section shall be brought in the same manner as for a traffic violation pursuant to 23 V.S.A. chapter 24 and shall be brought within 24 hours following the occurrence of the alleged violation.

  (2) In addition to the civil penalty imposed against an individual for a violation pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, for any subsequent violation, the licensee may be subject to an administrative penalty and license suspension or revocation as set forth in subdivision (b)(2) of this section.

  (b)(1) The Division of Liquor Control shall conduct or contract for compliance tests of tobacco licensees as frequently and as comprehensively as necessary to ensure consistent statewide compliance with the prohibition on sales to individuals under 21 years of age of at least 90 percent for buyers who are between 17 and 20 years of age. An individual under 21 years of age participating in a compliance test shall not be in violation of section 1005 of this title.

  (2) Any violation by a tobacco licensee of subsection 1003(a) of this title or this section after a sale violation or during a compliance test after a previous violation shall be considered a multiple violation and shall result in the following administrative penalties and minimum license suspensions or license revocation, in addition to any other penalties available under this title:

  (A) second violation: suspension for two consecutive weekdays and an administrative penalty of not less than $1,000.00;

  (B) third violation: suspension for 15 consecutive days and an administrative penalty of not less than $2,000.00;

  (C) fourth violation: suspension for 90 consecutive days and an administrative penalty of not less than $3,500.00; and

  (D) fifth violation: revocation of license and an administrative penalty of not less than $5,000.00. (Added 1991, No. 70, § 2; amended 1997, No. 58, § 6; 2013, No. 14, § 6; 2015, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2017, No. 83, § 137; 2018, No. 1 (Sp. Sess.), § 85; 2019, No. 27, § 5, eff. Sept. 1, 2019; 2019, No. 73, § 16; 2025, No. 148 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2026.)