New vape shops can no longer open within 1,000 feet of a school or another vape shop in unincorporated Richland County, under an ordinance that cleared its third and final reading Tuesday night. County documents show 49 vape businesses already hold licenses in unincorporated areas, and 14 of them sit within that same 1,000-foot radius of a school. Those existing shops get to stay put, but anyone hoping to open a new one nearby just lost that option.
According to a report from Yahoo News, the amendment to the county's business regulations passed its third and final reading Tuesday, with the new rules now in effect. New vape shops will be prohibited from opening within 1,000 feet of school property or within 1,000 feet of an existing vape shop, the outlet reported, while businesses already operating will be allowed to continue under the new regulations. The Post and Courier reports the ordinance also creates a formal vape shop licensing system, requiring operators to obtain a valid business license and file applications under their own name — the county will not issue licenses to a corporation, association or trade name, per county documents cited in that report.
Why County Leaders Pushed the Change
Council Chairwoman Jesica Mackey said the goal is to limit the concentration of vape shops near schools and prevent multiple businesses from opening in the same area, per the Yahoo report. The push traces back to March, when Council member Tyra Little introduced a motion to explore regulation changes, and the county's Administration and Finance Committee recommended the rules for full council consideration in June, according to the Post and Courier.
County documents cited by the Post and Courier frame the restrictions as measures to protect citizens' health, safety and welfare, with the county saying it intends to reduce adolescents' exposure to vape and cannabis products. Nationally, about 6% of middle and high school students used e-cigarettes, according to a 2024 CDC survey cited in the same Yahoo report.
What the New Licensing Rules Require
Under the ordinance, license applicants must be at least 21 years old, and existing vape shop operators must file a license application with their business's next annual renewal, the Post and Courier reports. Vape shops must display a conspicuous sign of at least one square foot near vapor products explaining safe use of vapor product batteries, and retailers may not sell nicotine or vapor products to anyone under 21, nor vape juice containing an illegal chemical, substance, drug or other harmful additive, according to county documents referenced in that report.
Richland County staff may inspect vape shops for compliance, and licensing fees may provide revenue to supplement enforcement costs, the Post and Courier reports — though county documents state the ordinance does not require additional staffing or budget allocation. Businesses that discontinue vape or alternative nicotine sales would become subject to the new regulations again if they later resume those sales, per the same report.
A Separate Smoking Ban Expansion
In a related but distinct action, Richland County Council unanimously approved an ordinance in July that expands the county's smoking ban to include vape and electronic smoking products, as reported by South Carolina Public Radio. That measure requires signage and carries penalties for violations, adding vaping to the county's existing smoke-free workplace rules.
How Richland County's Rules Compare Regionally
The new unincorporated-county restrictions align more closely with rules already in place in Columbia and Forest Acres, according to the Post and Courier. Forest Acres passed its own ordinance in a unanimous council vote on Oct. 9, requiring vape and smoke shops to sit at least 1,000 feet from a school, church or park, and at least 1,000 feet from another vape shop, with already-existing shops grandfathered in. Columbia passed a similar ordinance restricting where vape shops can locate back in February 2023.
The Post and Courier also reports that the Lexington Police Department searched five vape shop locations in a coordinated investigation, with law enforcement agencies confiscating products from those sites. Retailers involved said they believed the agencies had incorrectly interpreted the law and had not warned them of violations, according to the same report, which also notes a federal ban looms for THC drinks, gummies and hemp-derived products available across South Carolina.
