Iowa Vapor Products Registry Update

Iowa Vapor Products Registry Update

Following the August 3^rd decision by The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit reversing the preliminary injunction granted against Iowa’s Vapor Products Registry (House File 2677), several FUELIowa convenience store members have raised questions centered around the next steps for the vapor products category. Following the Eight Circuit Court’s reversal, the case will be sent back to the Federal District Court for further proceedings, likely to involve a dissolution of the original injunction.

In laymen’s terms, this equates to a procedural issue delaying the adoption of Iowa’s Vapor Products Registry but a step forward nonetheless. In conversation’s with the Iowa Department of Revenue officials tasked with overseeing Iowa’s Vapor Products Registry, the Department of Revenue is preparing guidance for Iowa retailers but that guidance will not be released until after the case is sent back to Federal District Court. Assuming Iowa’s Vapor Products Registry does not encounter further legal hurdles before the Federal District Court, the Department of Revenue will issue guidance followed by a short grace period for retailers and distributors to remove unapproved vapor products from their inventory.

Iowa’s Vapor Products Registry intends to serve multiple purposes. First, the registry will curb sales of illegal vapor products from reaching the hands of minors. Second, the registry will clearly define vapor products legal for sale by displaying the products on the state run vapor registry while simultaneously bringing fairness and equity among retailers to a category that has been anything but regulated with transparency and equity.