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GOOD TO KNOW · 27 OCT 2026

What a tobacco retail licence actually means in Singapore

Walk into any shop in Singapore that sells tobacco, and there’s a piece of paperwork behind the counter you probably never think about. Every one of them needs a tobacco retail licence. It isn’t a formality. It shapes almost everything about how a responsible shop operates, from the questions we ask at the counter to what you will and won’t see on our website.

Here’s what that licence involves, and why it matters.

Who issues it

Tobacco retail licences are issued by the Health Sciences Authority, through its Tobacco Regulation Branch. No one can sell tobacco in Singapore without one, and selling before the licence is approved is an offence in itself.

A few rules sit behind every licence. Each one covers a single physical shop, so a business with two outlets needs two licences. The business must be properly registered, and tobacco can’t be sold from temporary or makeshift stalls. Licences last one year and can’t be transferred to someone else. If any of the business’s details change, the shop has three days to tell the authority.

The age rule

Since 1 January 2021, the minimum legal age to buy tobacco in Singapore has been 21. It rose in steps: 19 in 2019, 20 in 2020, then 21.

The responsibility sits squarely with the retailer. A licensed shop must be able to check a customer’s age, and the owner is accountable for every member of staff behind the counter. The penalties are serious. Selling to someone under 21 can mean a fine of up to $5,000 for a first offence and up to $10,000 after that. A first offence also suspends the shop’s licence for six months, and a second takes it away for good.

That’s why we may ask for proof of age, even if you’ve been coming in for years. It’s nothing personal. It’s the law, and we take it seriously.

Why you won’t find promotions here

Licensed retailers also work under strict rules on advertising. Tobacco can’t be advertised. There are no free samples, no gifts with purchase, no bundles and no loyalty points.

You’ll notice this on our own website. There are no prices, no product photos and no special offers. Some visitors find that surprising, but it’s exactly how it should be. A shop that follows the rules online is usually a shop that follows them everywhere else too.

Notices you’ll see in the shop

Every licensed retailer must display a clear notice that selling tobacco to anyone below the minimum legal age is prohibited. If you see it near the counter, you’re looking at one of the visible signs of a shop operating under licence.

Standardised packaging

Since 1 July 2020, tobacco products sold in Singapore must follow standardised packaging rules, including approved health warnings. Products can’t carry misleading words like “light” or “mild”. These rules apply to every licensed retailer, large or small.

Why it matters to you

All of this can sound like red tape, but it protects customers as much as anyone. A licensed shop is accountable to a regulator. It’s registered, it can be inspected, and it has a great deal to lose by cutting corners. When you deal with a licensed retailer, you’re dealing with a business that has chosen to do things properly, and can prove it.

At Puro

Puro Premium Cigars operates under a tobacco retail licence from the Health Sciences Authority. We serve customers aged 21 and above only, we may ask for proof of age, and we keep this website free of promotions and prices, as the rules require.

If you have any questions about how we operate, ask Jerome at the counter or WhatsApp us on +65 9151 4702. You’ll find us at 30 Merchant Road, #02-02 Riverside Point, Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 9pm.