The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published an announcement about the new 21+ legislation on FDA.gov, which you can find here.
While it is now illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21 in the U.S., the amendment provides a six-month window for the FDA to propose supportive regulations, such as procedures for verifying age and other guidelines for retailers.
Pending details and all, the 21+ age requirement still calls for immediate compliance, which means retailers have to adapt. As we’ve seen, enforcement efforts quickly follow new laws and the urgency of curbing underage tobacco use is now officially endorsed by the federal government—which hasn't moved the legal tobacco age since 1987.
21+ simplifies the tobacco industry’s regulation by overriding hundreds of conflicting local laws. 18+ could change to 21+ with a step over city line and laws were changing so quickly it was difficult for businesses to keep up—with most going to 21+ on their own to save the hassle.
AgeChecker.net allows websites to customize age requirements or choose from one of our industry-specific profiles, which we update as new laws take effect. Our tobacco profiles now reflect the new 21+ law across the U.S., overriding their previous 18, 19, and 21 settings based on the buyer’s location and its jurisdiction.
It’s always important to check on the age verification settings you have chosen, whether just to confirm or make changes. From your account dashboard, you can view and edit our profiles or your own custom settings under the Websites tab.
Our profiles may be overridden with custom rules; for example, you can select our tobacco profile and layer your own rule on top, such as “Always Require ID” for customers in a specific state, county, city, or zip code. Unspecified locations will only be prompted for ID if they aren’t instantly verified through our database, while those in your specified location will always be prompted for ID.
Please contact us with any questions or for assistance adjusting your settings.
