With their fragrant scents and huge clouds of smoke, it’s not hard to spot vaping products out on the street. Love them or hate them, vaping products have become increasingly popular and are likely here to stay.
That being said, a recent law bans the mailing of vape pens through USPS. Read the rest of our article to find out what this law covers, and if there are any exceptions!
Can You Mail Vape Pens with USPS In 2024?
USPS banned the mailing of vape pens and other electronic nicotine delivery systems in October 2021. This ruling includes e-cigarettes, e-pipes, personal vaporizers, and other liquids, parts or accessories associated with any of these products as of 2024. Exceptions exist for intrastate mailing in Alaska and Hawaii, for non-commercial personal use, and for business-to-business shipments.
To learn more specifics about mailing vape pens with USPS, be sure to check out the rest of our article for more useful facts!
Starting in October 2021, USPS banned the mailing of vaping products.
This law bans “electronic nicotine delivery systems” (ENDS).
ENDS are defined as “any electronic device that, through an aerosolized solution, delivers nicotine, flavor, or any other substance to the user inhaling from the device.”
Banned products include:
- E-cigarettes
- E-hookahs
- E-cigars
- E-pipes
- Vape pens
- Advanced refillable personal vaporizer
- Any component, liquid, part, or accessory of the devices listed above (regardless of whether such parts are sold separately from the device).
Cannabis vapes, as well as CBD vapes and nicotine (both of which are federally legal), are also covered under this new legislation and are non-mailable.
Heat-not-burn cigarettes are not aerosolized, and thus not included in the definition of ENDS.
However, they may be non-mailable because they contain tobacco, a substance that USPS deemed unmailable in a prior ruling.
Why Can’t You Mail Vape Pens with USPS?
Vape pens cannot be sent through the mail because they could get into the wrong hands (namely children’s hands).
While this most recent piece of legislation may seem sweeping, preventing children from getting ahold of tobacco has been an ongoing project for USPS.
In fact, the 2021 legislation came in response to a December 2020 law called the Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act (POSECCA).
POSECCA was designed to stop nicotine vapes from being shipped through USPS mail, and was itself an amendment to a 2009 law called the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT Act).
With each successive law, USPS has made it harder and harder to ship products that could prove harmful to children.
Are There Any Exceptions for Mailing Vape Pens?
While there’s a fair amount of legislation preventing the shipping of ENDS, there are some exceptions.
Let’s take a closer look at them below:
- Intrastate shipments of vape pens within Alaska and Hawaii are allowed
- Shipments between verified and authorized tobacco-industry businesses for business purposes.* These businesses can also send vapes to federal or state agencies for regulatory purposes.
- Adults can ship up to 10 electronic nicotine delivery systems for non-commercial use every 30 days.
- Limited shipments of e-cigarettes sent by verified and authorized manufacturers to adult smokers for consumer testing purposes are allowed.
- Limited shipments of vaping products by federal agencies for public health purposes are permitted.
*To mail vaping products as a verified company, businesses must apply to USPS to determine their eligibility for the exception.
In order to be eligible, businesses must be legally operated, have all applicable State and Federal licenses and permits, and be engaged in ENDS product manufacturing, distribution, or sales.
USPS must first grant the exception before any mailing happens. It’s worth noting that the postal service estimates lengthy processing times for applications.
What Happens If I Mail Vape Pens Through USPS?
You can probably get away with mailing a vape pen through the postal service, especially if you only do it once.
After all, USPS has far too many packages to go through to be checking the contents of boxes.
However, we don’t recommend breaking the law. Doing so carries civil and criminal penalties, including up to 3 years in prison.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on shipping clothes USPS, USPS food shipping, and USPS shipping restrictions.
Conclusion
Mailing vape pens and accessories through USPS is illegal, except if you or your business are covered by certain exemptions, like only shipping for personal use or shipping from business to business.
