Products prohibited for sale to anyone under 21 include:

  • Any products containing tobacco, including cigarettes, little cigars, cigars, shisha, chewing tobacco, powdered tobacco, snus, bidis, or gutka
  • Electronic cigarettes, including component parts and liquid nicotine
  • Products that are used for smoking but do not contain tobacco, including herbal cigarettes, non-tobacco shisha, pipes, rolling paper, water pipes, hookah, vaporizer, or any other device, equipment, or apparatus designed for the inhalation of tobacco

Products prohibited for sale to anyone under 19 include:

  • Laser pointers 

Products prohibited for sale to anyone under 18 include:

  • Aerosol spray paint products, box cutters, or etching acid 

As of January 1, 2019, pharmacies and businesses that contain pharmacies are banned from selling tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.

You can report tobacco and electronic cigarette sellers in New York City that: 

  • Sell tobacco products, non-tobacco smoking products, or electronic cigarettes to people under age 21
  • Fail to post the required Age Restriction Sign, a white card with red letters

Report a tobacco or e-cigarette product sold to a minor by a:

Report a prohibited item sold to a minor by a:

What Happens Next

If you provide an email address with your Service Request, you will receive a notification by email. You may also be emailed a complaint form, which you must complete and return. Be sure to check your spam folder in addition to your inbox.

The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection can help you with complaints about businesses in New York City. For complaints about businesses elsewhere, contact the local Consumer Affairs office or the State Attorney General's office.

Online

Learn how to file a complaint for a business outside of NYC.

By Phone

  • Agency: Nassau County Consumer Affairs
  • Phone Number: (516) 571-2449
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

  • Agency: Suffolk County Consumer Affairs
  • Phone Number: (631) 231-2400
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

  • Agency: Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection
  • Phone Number: (914) 995-2155
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

  • Agency: New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
  • Phone Number: (973) 504-6200
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

  Was this information helpful?   Yes    No