UKVIA asks MPs for vape retail licensing with fines up to £100,000

The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) gave evidence to a House of Commons committee asking MPs to treat responsible specialist vape retailers as a separate category from illegal operators, with licensing and fines attached to that distinction. Planet of the Vapes reported the appearance on 21 October 2026.

The evidence went to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, which was taking questions on the mix of businesses on UK high streets. Dr Marina Murphy spoke for the UKVIA; the article identifies her as head of external affairs UK, scientific affairs at the Haypp Group.

The UKVIA wants licensing to the fines it proposes

The trade body asks for licensing that covers both retailers and distributors, not retailers alone. It pairs that with enforcement and penalties of up to £10,000 for retailers and up to £100,000 for distributors involved in illegal sales.

Murphy also argued that controls on branding and displays should not substitute for enforcing age restrictions. She separated the visibility of vaping products from young people’s access to them when answering MPs’ questions.

A 90% sales threshold defines a specialist retailer under the proposal

The UKVIA’s proposed definition would require a specialist retailer to take at least 90% of sales by value from vaping and nicotine products and associated accessories. The same definition adds four operating conditions, listed below.

The association says a separate retail category would let regulators target rules more precisely. It frames that as protecting children from promotion while keeping specialist advice available to adult smokers.

Seizure and reporting figures rest on UKVIA statements

The UKVIA cited its own earlier research across 17 local authorities, which identified almost 390,000 illicit or non-compliant vaping products seized and relatively modest financial penalties for offenders. The article states the research involved 17 local authorities but gives no period, so the timeframe is unconfirmed.

The association also said its Be Vape Vigilant reporting initiative, which it says Trading Standards supports, has produced more than 1,500 reports of suspected illegal or underage sales. Those reports went to enforcement authorities. The article attributes both figures to the UKVIA and does not report independent verification of either.

Retailers and distributors face the proposed penalties

Specialist vape shops are the group the UKVIA wants carved out of any wider crackdown on high-street premises. Distributors sit in the same licensing proposal and carry the larger proposed maximum penalty of £100,000.

General retailers where vaping products account for a small share of sales would fall outside the 90% test under the proposal. The UKVIA’s stated concern is that such shops have less incentive to run specialist age checks and advice.

Population figures are cited in support of the shops’ role

Murphy said Great Britain has around 5.5 million adult vapers, including approximately 3.3 million former smokers. She used those numbers to argue that responsible retailers help people stay away from cigarettes.

The article does not report any committee response or government decision on the licensing proposal. The fines and the specialist definition remain proposals as the UKVIA described them to the committee.

Questions readers ask

What fines does the UKVIA propose for illegal vape sales?

The UKVIA proposes penalties of up to £10,000 for retailers and up to £100,000 for distributors involved in illegal sales. It presented the figures to the House of Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee as part of a call for licensing across the vaping supply chain.

How would the UKVIA define a specialist nicotine retailer?

Under the UKVIA's proposed definition, a specialist retailer would take at least 90% of sales by value from vaping and nicotine products and accessories, employ trained staff, run strict age verification, admit only adults aged 18 and over, and keep product displays out of view from outside the premises.

What did the UKVIA tell MPs about underage sales?

Dr Marina Murphy separated the visibility of vaping products from young people's access to them. She argued that preventing underage sales depends on enforcing age restrictions rather than adding compliance burdens to responsible retailers, while accepting a case for appropriate controls on branding and displays.