Why Vape Orders Need an Adult Signature: The PACT Act Explained

Every Vaperan delivery needs an adult signature, every order is age-verified, and the shipping page names a carrier that handles age-restricted goods. None of that is a store preference. It follows from the federal PACT Act as extended to vapor products in 2021, and this page explains what the law requires and what it means for an order.

What the PACT Act is

The Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act is a federal law from 2009 that regulates remote (mail-order and online) sales of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 amended it so that “cigarette” includes electronic nicotine delivery systems: e-cigarettes, disposables, pods, e-liquids and their parts. From March 2021 the rules for online cigarette sellers apply to online vape sellers.

What it requires of an online vape store

• Registration. The seller registers with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and with the tax administrators of the states it ships to.
• Age verification before sale. The buyer’s age is checked against a database at checkout, not only by a checkbox.
• Adult signature on delivery. The carrier must obtain the signature of an adult at the delivery address; a package cannot be left at the door.
• Excise-tax collection and reporting. The seller collects any state or local vapor excise tax and files monthly reports of shipments with each destination state’s tax administrator.
• Record keeping. Delivery-sale records are kept for the rest of the year of sale plus four full years; that is why the privacy policy keeps order records that long while other data is deleted sooner.
• No US Postal Service delivery. The Postal Service does not carry vapor products to consumers, and the major parcel carriers refuse them under their own policies, which is why Vaperan ships with a carrier that handles age-restricted goods.

What it means for your order

• Someone 21 or over must be present to sign. Deliveries to a PO box or a locker do not work.
• A refused or unsigned delivery comes back to us; the returns policy says how those orders are refunded.
• Where a state charges a vapor excise tax on remote sales, it shows as a separate line at checkout, as the shipping policy describes.
• State law adds its own limits on top. Illinois, where Vaperan is based, does not allow e-cigarettes bought online to be shipped within the state to anyone other than a licensed distributor or retailer (Public Act 103-0937, in force since January 1, 2025); Illinois shops can buy through the wholesale program.

Why the shop still sells online

The PACT Act regulates remote sales; it does not prohibit them. A store that registers, verifies age, ships with adult signature, collects tax and keeps records is compliant. Vaperan’s shipping, returns and privacy pages are written around those duties.

Questions

Why does my vape order need an adult signature?

Because the federal PACT Act, extended to vapor products in 2021, requires the carrier to obtain the signature of an adult at delivery. It is not optional for the store or the carrier.

Can vapes be shipped by USPS?

Not to consumers. The Postal Service stopped carrying vapor products to residential addresses in 2021, and the major parcel carriers refuse them; specialist carriers handle age-restricted goods with adult-signature delivery.

Why does the store keep my order record for years?

The PACT Act requires delivery-sale records to be kept for the year of sale plus four full years.

Is this legal advice?

No. It is a plain-language summary of the duties the law places on an online vape seller, written to explain the store’s own policies. Consult a lawyer for your situation.

More: shipping policy, FAQ, glossary.

Sources: the manufacturers' specification lists as published in the Vaperan catalog; prices shown are live. Written by the Vaperan team. Last reviewed September 30, 2026. How we write our guides.