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Guide

Is my vape FDA authorized? How to check in 2 minutes

How to look up a product in the FDA’s records, and why most vapes sold in stores won’t be there.

Published September 24, 2026 · Sources: FDA

The short answer

The FDA publishes a list of the e-cigarettes it has authorized. As of its August 28, 2026 update, there are 48 products from five manufacturers: Glas, JUUL, Logic, NJOY and Vuse. The FDA says these are the only e-cigarettes that may be lawfully sold in the United States. See the full list in our FDA-authorized vapes database.

How to check a product

  1. Open the FDA’s authorized e-cigarettes page at fda.gov/authorizedecigs. The FDA says it updates this page the day an authorization is issued.
  2. Match the exact product: brand, device, flavor and nicotine strength. An authorization covers only the specific products named. Other flavors or versions from the same brand aren’t covered.
  3. For the full record, search the FDA’s Searchable Tobacco Products Database. The FDA calls it the most comprehensive list of tobacco products that can be legally sold.

“Authorized” is not “approved”

The FDA doesn’t “approve” e-cigarettes. It issues marketing orders under a public health standard. The FDA states that authorized products are not safe and not “FDA approved,” and that all tobacco products are harmful and potentially addictive.

What about products with a pending application?

The FDA says a pending application “does not create a legal safe harbor to sell that product.” It says new tobacco products without authorization are marketed unlawfully and are subject to enforcement. The FDA reports it has issued more than 800 warning letters to firms over unauthorized tobacco products.

The FDA also notes a few exceptions. Some products are still under review or were on the market before 2007. In some cases a court or the agency has paused a denial order. Ask the retailer or manufacturer about any specific product.

Why this matters to buyers

  • The FDA says authorized products have gone through “rigorous scientific review, including toxicologic assessments.” Unauthorized products have not.
  • State law can be stricter than federal law. Flavor bans and shipping limits apply in New York and New Jersey, for example. See our state vape law guides.

Sources