2FIRSTS | Wisconsin Vape Directory One Year On: Retailer Reports Four Store Closures and 70% Staff Cuts
One year after Wisconsin's vaping directory became enforceable, a retailer reports closing four stores and cutting 70% of staff.Summary
Wisconsin has prohibited the sale of required vaping products not listed on its state Electronic Vaping Device Directory since Sept. 1, 2025, with retailers and manufacturers facing a $1,000-per-day forfeiture for each unlisted device, and noncompliant products subject to seizure and destruction. According to an Oct. 6 report by The Badger Herald, Johnny Vapes owner Ben Hall said he has closed four of his seven northeastern Wisconsin stores and cut about 70% of his staff since enforcement began, with customers shifting purchases to Illinois, Michigan, or online sellers; Puffin Pass general manager Seth Blackstone said the law blocked roughly 10 to 15 devices and reduced product choice. These store-closure and employment figures are company-reported by Hall and are not statewide data. The directory, maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, requires manufacturers to certify products annually at $500 per device, and only devices with FDA marketing authorization or those meeting certain PMTA-related requirements are generally eligible. Wisconsin amended the law in 2025 to add a separate certification pathway for hemp devices without nicotine, enforceable from July 2026 with penalties beginning Sept. 1, 2026. WiscoFAST and other plaintiffs challenged the law on federal preemption and Equal Protection grounds, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction on April 21, 2026. Wisconsin has not published statewide statistics quantifying the law's effect on vape-industry sales, store counts, or employment.
(Source：2Firsts)
