# Kentucky SB 245: AN ACT relating to tobacco, nicotine, or vapor product licensure and declaring an emergency. Kentucky SB 245, AN ACT relating to tobacco, nicotine, or vapor product licensure and declaring an emergency., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Robin L. Webb (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-10 (signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 70)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB245-2026RS - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Kentucky SB 245 - State: Kentucky - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT relating to tobacco, nicotine, or vapor product licensure and declaring an emergency. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-02-25 - Last action: 2026-04-10, signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 70) - Sponsor: Robin L. Webb (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Alcoholic Beverages, Boards And Commissions, Effective Dates, Emergency, Licensing, Occupations And Professions, Public Safety, Retroactive Legislation, Secretary Of State, State Agencies, Tobacco, Vaping - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (234 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - No extra hoops for tobacco and vape retailers: benefit, low. The department cannot add new steps or paperwork to get or renew a license to sell tobacco, nicotine, or vapor products. License rules must match what the law lists. This prevents surprise agency add-ons and keeps applications and renewals simpler for retailers. - Stricter penalties on youth and vapor sales: cost, medium. You may not sell to anyone under 21. Clerks pay $100 per citation; owners get a notice for the first citation, then $500 for a second and $1,000 for a third at the same store. A fourth citation triggers license revocation and a two‑year bar on reapplying. You may sell only FDA‑authorized nicotine v… - More store inspections and reporting: cost, low. State agencies run yearly random, unannounced inspections at stores that sell tobacco or vapor products, starting January 1, 2026. They may target times and places where under‑21 sales attempts are likely and may use under‑21 testers only with direct supervision and parental consent. The Secretary… - ID checks, labels, and delivery rules: mixed, medium. Retailers must tell buyers that delivery will require a valid government ID showing age 21+. Packages must be labeled “CONTAINS TOBACCO OR NICOTINE PRODUCTS.” Deliverers must check ID, verify age, and get a signature; if they cannot complete delivery, products must be returned to the retailer. Reta… - License fees and options for retailers: mixed, medium. Retailers must pay $500 each year for each store license. A 30‑day event license costs $50 per event. The initial application fee is $50 and is nonrefundable; it counts toward the license if issued, and other fees are refunded if not. You may batch licenses to match your alcohol license renewal dat… - Transition timelines and grandfather rules: mixed, medium. The Act takes effect immediately. Sections 2–10 apply retroactively to January 1, 2026. Any retailer selling without a current license must apply and pay within 60 days of enactment; approved licenses issue within 14 business days and renew on the issue date unless batched. Before June 30 each year… - No license transfers; sale notice required: mixed, low. Licenses cannot be transferred to another owner or moved to a different location. A buyer must give written notice to the department at least 15 days before closing and include the application and fee. The department must issue the new license within 14 business days after it receives the notice. - Simpler applications and faster decisions: mixed, low. The department must post the license application, renewal form, and instructions online within 30 days. Annual and temporary applications can ask only the listed facts, and renewal forms ask for updates only if there is a material change. If facts change after a license is issued, you must file a s… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Robin L. Webb (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jimmy Higdon (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-27 | House | passed | pass | 78 | 0 | | | 2026-03-27 | Senate | passed | pass | 35 | 1 | | | 2026-03-20 | House | 3rd reading, passed | pass | 85 | 0 | | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | passed | pass | 36 | 0 | | ## Actions (53) - 2026-04-10: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 70) - 2026-03-31: delivered to Governor - 2026-03-31: enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House (Senate) - 2026-03-31: enrolled, signed by President of the Senate (Senate) - 2026-03-27: passed 35-1 (Senate) - 2026-03-27: Free Conference Committee report adopted in Senate (Senate) - 2026-03-27: posted for passage for consideration of Free Conference Committee Report (Senate) - 2026-03-27: taken from Rules (Senate) - 2026-03-27: to Rules (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-27: received in Senate (Senate) - 2026-03-27: passed 78-0 (House) - 2026-03-27: Free Conference Committee report adopted in House (House) - 2026-03-27: posted for passage for consideration Free Conference Committee Report in House (House) - 2026-03-27: Free Conference Committee report filed in House (House) - 2026-03-27: Conference Committee report adopted in House (House) - 2026-03-27: Conference Committee report filed in House and Senate (House) - 2026-03-26: Conference and Free Conference Committees appointed in House and Senate (House) - 2026-03-26: House refused to recede from Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1) (House) - 2026-03-26: posted for passage for receding from House Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1) (House) - 2026-03-26: taken from Rules (House) - 2026-03-26: to Rules (H) (House) - 2026-03-26: received in House (House) - 2026-03-26: Senate refused to concur in House Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1) (House) - 2026-03-25: passed over and retained for concurrence in House Committee Substitute (1) and House Floor Amendment (1) (House) - 2026-03-24: passed over and retained for concurrence in House Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1) (House) - 2026-03-24: posted for passage for concurrence in House Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1) (House) - 2026-03-24: taken from Rules (Senate) - 2026-03-24: to Rules (S) (Senate) - 2026-03-24: received in Senate (Senate) - 2026-03-20: 3rd reading, passed 85-0 with Floor Amendment (1) and Committee Substitute (1) (House) - 2026-03-19: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 20 2026 (House) - 2026-03-18: floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute (House) - 2026-03-18: reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1) (House) - 2026-03-17: returned to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H) (House) - 2026-03-17: 2nd reading (House) - 2026-03-17: taken from Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H) (House) - 2026-03-16: returned to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H) (House) - 2026-03-16: 1st reading (House) - 2026-03-16: taken from Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H) (House) - 2026-03-11: to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H) (House) - 2026-03-10: to Committee on Committees (H) (House) - 2026-03-10: received in House (House) - 2026-03-06: passed 36-0 (Senate) - 2026-03-06: floor amendment (1) withdrawn (Senate) - 2026-03-06: 3rd reading (Senate) - 2026-03-05: floor amendment (1) filed (Senate) - 2026-03-05: passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2026-03-04: posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 05 2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-04: 2nd reading, to Rules (Senate) - 2026-03-03: reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar (Senate) - 2026-02-27: to Licensing & Occupations (S) (Senate) - 2026-02-25: to Committee on Committees (S) (Senate) - 2026-02-25: introduced in Senate (Senate) ## Bill text - Current, 2026-03-27: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb245/bill.pdf) - Introduced, 2026-03-06: [PDF](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb245/orig_bill.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 197: AN ACT providing funding and establishing conditions for state government agencies and institutions, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergen… (became law) - SB 133: AN ACT relating to the fiscal reporting of local entities. (signed) - HB 869: AN ACT relating to fiscal matters and declaring an emergency. (signed) - SB 324: AN ACT relating to the entertainment industry. (signed) - SB 66: AN ACT relating to the operation of a motor vehicle. (signed) - HB 826: AN ACT relating to education. (signed) ## Sources - [Current (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb245/bill.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb245/orig_bill.pdf) ## Related - [SB 197: AN ACT providing funding and establishing conditions for state government agenc…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB197-2026RS) - [SB 133: AN ACT relating to the fiscal reporting of local entities.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB133-2026RS) - [HB 869: AN ACT relating to fiscal matters and declaring an emergency.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB869-2026RS) - [SB 324: AN ACT relating to the entertainment industry.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB324-2026RS) - [SB 66: AN ACT relating to the operation of a motor vehicle.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB66-2026RS) - [HB 826: AN ACT relating to education.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-HB826-2026RS) - [Kentucky bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/kentucky/bills) - [Kentucky state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/kentucky) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KY-SB245-2026RS (as of 2026-11-01).