Tobacco and nicotine age limits in New Zealand (2026)

Last reviewed: 30 October 2026

In short: New Zealand sets a single national age of 18 for buying tobacco and vaping products. Smoking and vaping are banned in workplaces, bars, restaurants and on buses and taxis, and in a vehicle on a road with a child under 18. Nicotine pouches and flavour rules are not covered.

RuleWhat applies
Minimum age to buy tobaccoTobacco and nicotine products18 years [1]
Minimum age to buy e-cigarettesTobacco and nicotine products18 years [1]
Nicotine pouchesTobacco and nicotine products⚠ Not yet verified
Smoking ban in indoor public placesTobacco and nicotine productsYes [1]
Smoking ban on public transportTobacco and nicotine productsYes [1]
Flavoured tobacco and e-cigarettesTobacco and nicotine products⚠ Not yet verified
Smoking in cars with childrenTobacco and nicotine productsSmoking or vaping is prohibited in a motor vehicle on a road, moving or stationary, that has a child occupant (a person under 18). It does not apply if the person smoking is the only occupant under 18 or the vehicle is a stationary dwelling vehicle. Penalty: an infringement fee of NZD 50 or a court fine of up to NZD 100. [1]
E-cigarettes in indoor public placesTobacco and nicotine productsVaping is treated like smoking: the bans on smoking in workplaces, licensed premises, restaurants and travel terminals apply to smoking or vaping. Specialist vape retailers' approved premises are exempt. [1]

Notes

  • Section 40: nobody may sell a regulated product (tobacco product, vaping product or herbal smoking product) to a person younger than 18, or deliver it to one. Section 41 also bans supplying such a product to a person under 18. The text read is the version as at 18 December 2024, captured in the Internet Archive on 16 February 2025; later amendments were not checked.
  • Nicotine pouches were not specifically checked in the Act, so no rule is shown.
  • Smoking and vaping are prohibited in workplaces (section 5), in licensed premises and restaurants except open areas (sections 12 and 13), and in enclosed travel terminal waiting and booking areas (section 11); the Act also covers schools, casinos and other places. It does not set one rule for every indoor public place. Version as at 18 December 2024 (Internet Archive snapshot).
  • Smoking and vaping are prohibited on internal flights carrying paying passengers (section 8), in buses and taxis while carrying passengers (section 9) and in enclosed travel terminal areas (section 11). Trains and ferries were not checked. Version as at 18 December 2024 (Internet Archive snapshot).
  • Flavour rules for vaping products were not checked, so no rule is shown.

Sources

  1. New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office: Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990 No 108 (as at 18 December 2024), Public Act (Internet Archive snapshot of 16 February 2025) (consulted 30 October 2026) · all sources

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General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official source before you fly or ride.