Do I need PACT Act registration if I only sell in-store?
If you never ship vape products — no delivery, no mail order — the PACT Act's shipping and reporting obligations generally don't apply to you. You still need FDA retailer registration and state licenses. The moment you ship anything, even a single package to a friend's house, registration and age-verification-at-delivery obligations kick in.
What software handles PACT Act reporting?
Tools like Token of Trust and Vapely offer PACT Act reporting and age-verification services for vape businesses; Avalara and similar tax platforms handle multi-state sales/excise tax. The key requirement is integration — the tool should pull order data from your checkout automatically and generate the reports your destination states expect. Our compliance software comparison reviews these side by side.
Is age verification software legally required?
Yes in effect: federal law requires age verification of 21+ for vape sales, and the PACT Act adds age verification at delivery with adult signature. While the law doesn't name a specific software product, a database-backed age check at checkout and ID verification at delivery are how merchants demonstrate compliance. Manual "click to confirm you're 21+" buttons do not satisfy regulators.
Can I be compliant and still use Shopify or WooCommerce?
Yes — the platform isn't the problem, the configuration is. You need a checkout age-verification integration, a high-risk payment gateway (Shopify Payments and Stripe prohibit vape), PACT-compliant shipping, and tax automation. It's more assembly than with a vape-native stack, but it works if done completely. See our ecommerce platforms guide for the setup.
How much does a compliance tech stack cost?
In-store only: $0–80/month. Shipping to a few states: roughly $100–300/month. Shipping nationwide (30+ states): $380–700/month including monitoring and reporting automation. Compare that to a single $5,000+ fine and the ROI answers itself.
