It is an offence for you or your staff to sell cigarettes or any tobacco products including cigarette papers to a person under the age of 18 years.
To sell tobacco products you must register with Scottish government as a retailer. If you also sell nicotine vapour products you can include that in your registration.
It is a criminal offence to sell menthol flavoured cigarettes. The ban was contained within the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. The ban also applies to rolling tobacco which is sold with menthol-flavoured filters or papers, and dual menthol cigarettes. The ban does not apply to heated tobacco products or e-cigarette products. Retailers must ensure that they have no flavoured cigarettes or rolling tobacco on their premises.
Download a copy of our Underage Sales Information booklet.
If you sell cigarettes and tobacco you must keep a physical copy of your age verification policy at your premises. This policy should specify the steps your business takes to avoid sales to underage customers. Download a sample age verification policy.
Download a Think 25 poster to advertise the policy.
You should also keep a record of all the occasions that you and your staff refuse a sale. Download a refusal form.
Cigarettes and tobacco products must be stored out of sight of customers except when you are making a sale. Please download our Selling Tobacco Products guide for information relating to the storage of tobacco and how tobacco prices should be displayed.
If you are aware of businesses selling age-restricted products to underage customers, please report them. To do this contact us via Advice Direct Scotland by phoning on 0808 164 6000. Any information you give will be treated in the utmost confidence.