NSW retailers and wholesalers who wish to sell tobacco, or non-tobacco smoking products, now must apply for a licence as part of the NSW government’s Tobacco Licensing Scheme.

Applications will be screened to check if the applicant has been found guilty of an offence relating to the sale or supply of tobacco or vaping goods under any relevant state, territory, and Commonwealth legislation, which could see them refused a licence to sell these products.

“The NSW government’s tobacco licensing scheme will help clean out bad actors in NSW’s tobacco market and level the playing field for small businesses who do the right thing,” says NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park.

“It used to be the case that regardless of your history, you’d just need to let the NSW government know of your intention to sell tobacco.

“Under this new scheme, you’ll need to actively seek permission, and if we find you’ve got a history of doing the wrong thing, the government’s got the power to say no.”

Businesses can apply for a licence online using their MyServiceNSW account via the Service NSW website. Applicants will be required to complete an online application, provide a recent criminal records check and pay the yearly licence fee.

The new Tobacco Licensing Scheme, which came into effect on Tuesday (1 July), will give retailers and wholesalers a grace period until 1 October 2025 to apply for a licence. 

New penalties have also been introduced for anyone caught selling products without a valid licence.

The maximum penalties will be:

• For individuals – $11,000 for a first offence, and $44,000 for a second or subsequent offence.
• For a corporation – $220,000.