Guide · checked October 23, 2026
A directory state does not ban vapes with a headline. It publishes a list — an approved-products directory, usually run by the attorney general or revenue department — and makes it illegal to sell anything that is not on it. Because only products with FDA marketing authorization (or a timely, still-pending application) can get listed, and only a few dozen products hold FDA authorization, a directory works as a ban on almost everything a typical new shop planned to stock.
| State | Directory | Key date |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | HB 900 certification directory (Dept. of Revenue) | Retail effect Jul 1, 2025; upheld by the 4th Circuit, 2026 |
| Wisconsin | Vapor product directory (DOR) | Ban effective Sep 1, 2025; ~284 approved products |
| Mississippi | HB 916 directory | Oct 1, 2025 (FDA-authorized/pending only) |
| Virginia | AG liquid nicotine directory | Compliance from Dec 31, 2025; fines from $5,000 |
| Pennsylvania | ENDS Directory, Act 57 of 2025 | Enforcement Oct 19, 2026; 159 products / 6 manufacturers |
| Tennessee | SB 763 directory | Enforcement begins Jan 1, 2027 |
| Florida | HB 1007 NDD Directory (AG) | Enforcement from Mar 2025 |
| Alabama · Arkansas · Georgia · Kentucky · Louisiana · Oklahoma · South Carolina | Directories / PMTA certification in force | See each state page for its mechanism |
| Utah | Directory enacted | Challenged in court — check the AG list at ordering time |
| Iowa | Directory enacted | Blocked by litigation — not currently enforced |
In a directory state, your supplier's catalog is not evidence of legality — the state list is. The working habit (and the whole of our directory-check guide) is: pull the live directory, match every SKU, keep the dated printout with the invoice. Pennsylvania's launch list — 159 products from 6 manufacturers — shows how short the legal shelf can be. The kit's stocking starter list names the manufacturers that recur across directories.
Included in the $49 Opening Compliance Pack
The worked filing packs, the lease red-flag checklist keyed to distance rules, the city verification worksheet and the zoning-verification letter template are in the Opening Compliance Pack.