Wales introduces new tobacco age-of-sale notice requirements

New regulations have been made in Wales to support the implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, introducing updated requirements for tobacco age-of-sale notices and making consequential changes to existing tobacco display legislation ahead of the new smoke-free generation rules taking effect.

The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 (Age of Sale Notices and Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026 were made on 16 October 2026 and come into force on 1 January 2027. Their purpose is to ensure that statutory notices displayed by tobacco retailers accurately reflect the new age-of-sale regime introduced by the Tobacco and Vapes Act.

Under the 2026 Act, the legal test for purchasing tobacco products changes from a fixed age threshold to a date-of-birth based restriction. From 1 January 2027, it will be an offence to sell tobacco products, herbal smoking products and cigarette papers to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.

The Welsh regulations prescribe the format of the mandatory age-of-sale notice required to be displayed by tobacco retailers. Notices must be a minimum of 297mm by 420mm, equivalent to A3 size, and all lettering and numbers on the notice must be at least 12mm high.

The regulations also make consequential amendments to existing Welsh tobacco control legislation. References in the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion (Display) (Wales) Regulations 2012 to persons being “aged 18 or over” are replaced with references to individuals being “born before 1 January 2009”. Similar amendments are made to the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion (Display of Prices) (Wales) Regulations 2012, including updating provisions relating to age verification so that they refer to a person’s date of birth rather than their age.

While largely administrative in nature, the regulations form an important part of the wider implementation of the smoke-free generation policy established by the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, ensuring that information provided to customers is consistent with the new legislation.

Licensing and regulatory practitioners seeking further information on the wider reforms may wish to consult the Institute of Licensing’s dedicated Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 resource hub, which brings together key information, legislative updates and guidance relating to the Act’s implementation across the licensing and regulatory sector.