Selling tobacco? You’ll need a licence by 1 February
Don’t miss the deadline: Apply for your tobacco licence by 1 February 2026
Victoria’s tobacco licensing scheme is now in effect. Any person or business that sells tobacco products needs a licence – whether selling to the public or to other businesses (including for online sales or via vending machines).
Tobacco Licensing Victoria will start enforcing the scheme from 1 February 2026. If you have not applied for a licence before that time, you can’t sell tobacco and will commit an offence if you continue to do so.
What you need to do
- Apply for your licenceas soon as possible at vic.gov.au/tobacco-licensing
- Provide all the required information to avoid delays
- Read the Guide to applying for a Victorian tobacco licence for more information.
Trading while your application is assessed
If you apply before 1 February 2026 and pay the fee, you are permitted to sell tobacco products in Victoria, until your application is decided. You’ll receive an email from Tobacco Licensing Victoria and Service Victoria acknowledgement receipt confirming your application. This is not your licence, but it proves you applied on time. You can share the email and receipt with others if needed – for example when a retailer buys tobacco products from a wholesaler or if a business is asked if it is permitted to sell tobacco.
From 1 February 2026, licensed businesses will appear on a searchable public register published on the Tobacco Licensing Victoria website.