§ 26:911 — Acts prohibited

§911. Acts prohibited
A. No person, agent, associate, employee, representative, or servant of any person
shall permit any of the following acts to be done on or about any premises which sells or
offers for sale tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or vapor products:
(1) Sell or serve tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or vapor products
over-the-counter in a retail establishment to any person under the age of twenty-one. All
persons engaging in the retail sale of tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or vapor
products shall check the identification of any tobacco purchaser to establish the age of the
purchaser. A person shall verify age by submitting a driver's license, selective service card,
or other lawful identification which on its face establishes the age of the person as twenty-one years or older and there is no reason to doubt the authenticity or correctness of the
identification.
(2) Violate the terms and provisions of R.S. 14:91.6 relative to the unlawful
distribution of tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or vapor products.
(3) Violate the terms and provisions of the "Prevention of Youth Access to Tobacco
Law" under R.S. 14:91.8.
(4) Violate the terms and provisions of this Chapter or any rules or regulations
promulgated by the office pursuant to this Chapter.
(5) Accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program "SNAP" electronic benefit
transfer cards as payment for tobacco products in violation of the provisions of 7 U.S.C.
2011 et seq., and any federal regulation issued pursuant thereto.
(6) Illegally sell, offer for sale, possess, or permit the consumption on or about the
licensee's premises of any kind or type of controlled dangerous substance.
B.(1)(a) No retail dealer shall purchase tobacco products for resale except from a
wholesale dealer operating with a valid unsuspended wholesale dealer permit, except as
provided for in this Chapter.
(b) No vapor retail dealer shall purchase alternative nicotine products, vapor
products, or electronic cigarette products for resale except from a wholesale dealer operating
with a valid unsuspended Louisiana wholesale dealer permit and a valid stamping agent
designation permit pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 26:902(2)(a), except as provided by this
Chapter.
(2) No wholesale dealer shall sell tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or
vapor products for resale except to a retail dealer operating with either a valid registration
certificate or a valid unsuspended permit.
(3)(a) Notwithstanding Paragraphs (B)(1) and (2), any tobacconist at a particular
retail outlet as defined in Subparagraph (B)(3)(b) may purchase tobacco products for such
retail outlet from any manufacturer, wholesale dealer, if such dealer has a valid, unsuspended
certificate or permit, or other supplier.
(b) "Tobacconist at a particular outlet" for purposes of this Paragraph means a retail
dealer engaged in receiving bulk smoking tobacco for the purpose of blending such tobacco
for retail sale at a particular retail outlet where fifty percent or more of the total purchases
for the preceding twelve months were purchases of tobacco products, excluding cigarettes.
C. No wholesale dealer shall sell to a retail dealer and no retail dealer shall sell to
the public single cigarettes. No individual package of cigarettes shall be sold or distributed
in individual packages containing fewer than twenty cigarettes. No smoking tobacco
intended for use as roll-your-own smoking tobacco for cigarettes shall be sold or distributed
in individual packages containing less than six-tenths of one ounce of smoking tobacco. No
cigarette or smokeless tobacco product shall be sold to the public except in an unopened
package originating with the manufacturer, bearing the health warning required by federal
law, and evidencing that the applicable tax under Chapter 8 of Subtitle II of Title 47 of the
Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 has been paid.
D. Manufacturers of vapor products shall not sell vapor products in this state without
authorization from the office of alcohol and tobacco control pursuant to rules promulgated
by the commissioner of the office of alcohol and tobacco control. The request for
authorization shall include:
(1) The name, telephone number, and address of the applicant.
(2) The name, telephone number, and address of the manufacturing facility.
(3) The name, telephone number, title, and address of the person responsible for the
manufacturing facility.
(4) Verification that the facility will comply with applicable tobacco products good
manufacturing practices pursuant to 21 U.S.C. 387f(e) of the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act.
(5) Verification that the manufacturer will comply with the applicable ingredient
listing required by 21 U.S.C. 387d(a)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
E. No manufacturer shall sell any vapor products, electronic cigarettes, or alternative
nicotine products online to any person under the age of twenty-one.
(1) At the time of any online purchase of vapor products, electronic cigarettes, or
alternative nicotine products, a manufacturer shall obtain and verify the age of the recipient
through the use of a real-time electronic age verification platform that shall be approved by
the commissioner, and the platform shall be capable of both of the following:
(a) Verifying proof of age through authoritative digitized identification card
technology.
(b) Storing the recipient's name, age, date of birth, the expiration date of the
identification, and the date and time that the identification was verified.
(2) A manufacturer shall refuse the online purchase of any vapor products, electronic
cigarettes, or alternative nicotine products if either:
(a) The recipient does not produce a valid and current form of identification as
provided in this Subsection.
(b) There is reason to doubt the authenticity or correctness of the recipient's
identification.
(3) At the time of any delivery of any vapor products, electronic cigarettes, or
alternative nicotine products purchased online, a third-party delivery agent shall obtain the
recipient's signature and verify the age of the recipient through the use of a real-time
electronic age verification device that shall be approved by the commissioner, and the device
shall be capable of the following:
(a) Verifying proof of age through authoritative digitized identification card
technology.
(b) Reading a valid state-issued driver's license, a valid state-issued identification
card, a valid military identification card, or a valid passport.
(c) Storing the recipient's name, age, date of birth, the expiration date of the
identification, and the date and time that the identification was scanned.
(4) The third party's delivery agent shall refuse delivery and return the vapor
products, electronic cigarettes, or alternative nicotine products to the manufacturer if any of
the following occur:
(a) The recipient does not produce a valid and current form of identification as
provided in this Section.
(b) There is reason to doubt the authenticity or correctness of the recipient's
identification.
(c) The recipient refuses to sign for the receipt of the delivery.
(5) Any violation of this Subsection shall result in a fine of five hundred dollars per
offense.

Legislative History

Acts 1997, No. 1370, §2, eff. Oct. 1, 1997; Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 84, §1, eff. May 1, 1998; Acts 1999, No. 1265, §1, eff. July 12, 1999; Acts 2012, No. 28, §1; Acts 2014, No. 278, §2, eff. May 28, 2014; Acts 2019, No. 424, §1, eff. June 20, 2019; Acts 2021, No. 403, §2; Acts 2022, No. 34, §1; Acts 2023, No. 414, §2, eff. July 1, 2023; Acts 2024, No. 567, §1, eff. June 10, 2024.