Va. Code Ann. § 4.1-356
This is the official text of Va. Code Ann. § 4.1-356, part of Virginia’s Code of Virginia — the complete compiled statutory law of Virginia, organized into 60+ numbered titles by subject.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
(Effective October 1, 2026) Packaging of certain retail tobacco products; civil penalty
Official statutory text
A. Cigarettes shall be sold only in sealed packages provided by the manufacturer, with the required health warning. The proprietor of every retail tobacco establishment that offers for sale any retail tobacco product shall post in a conspicuous manner and place a sign or signs indicating that the sale of retail tobacco products to any person under 21 years of age is prohibited by law.
B. For the purpose of compliance with regulations of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration published as 61 Federal Register 1492, the Board may promulgate regulations that allow the Board to undertake the activities necessary to comply with such regulations.
C. Agents of the Authority may issue a summons for any violation of this section. Any attorney for the locality in which an alleged violation of this section occurred may enforce this section by civil action to recover a civil penalty not to exceed $500. The civil penalty shall be paid into the local treasury. No filing fee or other fee or cost shall be charged to the locality which instituted the action.
D. Nothing in this section shall be construed to create a private cause of action.
2026, cc. 1021 , 1044 .
B. For the purpose of compliance with regulations of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration published as 61 Federal Register 1492, the Board may promulgate regulations that allow the Board to undertake the activities necessary to comply with such regulations.
C. Agents of the Authority may issue a summons for any violation of this section. Any attorney for the locality in which an alleged violation of this section occurred may enforce this section by civil action to recover a civil penalty not to exceed $500. The civil penalty shall be paid into the local treasury. No filing fee or other fee or cost shall be charged to the locality which instituted the action.
D. Nothing in this section shall be construed to create a private cause of action.
2026, cc. 1021 , 1044 .
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Virginia?
Find a Virginia lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.