South Carolina § 16-17-506 - Sale of e-liquid containers; restrictions.

§ 16-17-506. Sale of e-liquid containers; restrictions.

(A) For purposes of this section, "container" means a bottle or other container of any kind that contains e-liquid and is offered for sale, sold, or otherwise distributed, or intended for distribution to consumers, but that does not include a cartridge that is prefilled and sealed by the manufacturer and not intended to be opened by the customer.

(B) It is unlawful to sell, hold for sale, or distribute a container of e-liquid unless:

(1) the container satisfies the requirements of 21 C.F.R. 1143.3, if applicable, for the placement of labels, warnings, or any other information upon a package of e-liquid that is to be sold within the United States;

(2) the container complies with child-resistant effectiveness standards under 16 C.F.R. 1700.15(b)(1) when tested in accordance with the requirements of 16 C.F.R. 1700.20; and

(3) the container complies with federal trademark or copyright laws.

(C) A person who knowingly sells, holds for sale, or distributes e-liquid containers in violation of subsection (B) is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for not more than three years or fined not more than one thousand dollars, or both.

(D) In addition to the other penalties provided by law, law enforcement may seize and destroy or sell to the manufacturer, for export only, any containers in violation of this section.

(E) Any tobacco retailer or tobacco retail establishment that permits an employee to violate or knowingly violates subsection (B) is subject to the penalties in Section 16-17-500(E)(3).

HISTORY: 2019 Act No. 25 (H.3420), SECTION 5, eff April 26, 2019; 2023 Act No. 38 (H.3681), SECTION 10, eff August 14, 2023.

Editor's Note

2023 Act No. 38, SECTIONS 1, 3 to 4, and 13, provide as follows:

"SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the 'Omnibus Tobacco Enforcement Act of 2023'."

"SECTION 3. Laws, ordinances, or rules enacted by political subdivisions of this State prior to December 31, 2020, pertaining to ingredients, flavors, or licensing, related to the sale of cigarettes, electronic smoking devices, e-liquid, vapor products, tobacco products, or any other products containing nicotine that can be ingested into the body by chewing, smoking, absorbing, dissolving, inhaling, or by any means, and municipal code amendments to said laws, ordinances, or rules, are exempt from the preemption imposed by this act. Nothing in this act shall be construed to interfere with a political subdivision's authority to determine its own public-use policies relating to any of the products referenced in this act.

"SECTION 4. Nothing in this act shall be construed to interfere with a political subdivision's authority under Chapter 29, Title 6, including, without limitation, with respect to land use regulation, land development regulation, zoning, or permitting."

"SECTION 13. This act takes effect ninety days after approval by the Governor except SECTION 2, SECTION 3, and SECTION 4 which take effect upon approval by the Governor."

Effect of Amendment

2023 Act No. 38, SECTION 10, redesignated (1) to (4) as (A) to (D), respectively; in (B), redesignated (a) to (c) as (1) to (3); in (C), substituted "subsection (B)" for "subsection (2)" and "must be imprisoned" for "shall be imprisoned"; and added (E).