Cigarettes and ENDS products; provide administrative forfeiture procedures for.

New forfeiture rules for cigarettes and vapes

Beginning July 1, 2026, agencies can use administrative forfeiture for seized cigarettes or vape/ENDS worth $20,000 or less. The agency must send notice by certified mail or hand delivery to the owner of the premises, or publish it once a week for three weeks if notice cannot be completed. The notice describes the property, its value, and the date and place of seizure, and explains how to ask a court to review. Anyone claiming an interest has 30 days after getting the notice, or after the first publication, to file a petition in county court (or circuit court if no county court). If no petition is filed on time, the agency issues a written declaration and disposes of the property under the law. The person from whom the goods were taken must pay the costs of seizure, forfeiture, and destruction.