Shipping Electronic Cigarettes with USPS is Now Illegal

Congress has made some amendments to the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act, first enacted in June of 2010. Now, the act also applies to all vaping products and electronic cigarettes. As a result, shipping electronic cigarettes with USPS is now illegal, effective April 26th of 2021.

USPS Now Prohibits Shipment and Delivery of Electronic Cigarettes to Any Consumer

As part of the new amendments Congress made, the PACT Act now prohibits USPS to deliver “ENDS” directly to consumers. “ENDS” include any electronic devices that deliver nicotine, flavor, or any other substance to the user through aerosolized solutions when they inhale from the device.

Some examples of “ENDS” are:

• E-cigarettes
• E-hookahs
• E-cigars
• Vape pens
• Advanced refillable personal vaporizers
• Electronic pipes

These “ENDS” also include any components, liquids, part, or accessory of any the above devices. Even if it’s sold separately from the device itself, you still can’t ship it with USPS.

This Also Applies to Other Carriers, Not Just USPS

USPS isn’t the only carrier that now prohibits “ENDS” from entering into its network. It’s also illegal to ship electronic cigarettes with UPS, as well as other carriers who partner with USPS as consolidators. Some examples of companies like these are FirstMile, Newgistics, APC Postal Logistics, and Asendia.

The Criminal Penalties

If you don’t comply with the new guidelines in the PACT Act, you could face heavy civil fines of $5,000 to $10,000 per violation, as well as severe criminal penalties. If you attempt to ship any kind of “ENDS” within the United States, your carrier will probably outright refuse the package, or return it to you at your own expense.

Sometimes, USPS may inadvertently accept a package without being aware that “ENDS” are contained inside of it. In that event, if USPS any regulatory authority like the United States Postal Inspection Service  apprehends your package, you and/or your company (if you’re shipping on behalf of a company) will be responsible for all penalties imposed on your shipment(s), and you won’t be able to get reimbursements for the cost of any associated shipping labels.