What is TPD compliance in vaping?

What does TPD actually stand for?

TPD stands for Tobacco Products Directive. It is the original EU regulation that came into effect in 2016 to harmonise how tobacco and vaping products are regulated across member states.

When the UK left the EU, the rules were retained in UK law as the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, abbreviated to TRPR. The rules themselves did not change. The name is different, the substance is the same.

In everyday vape conversation, people still call it TPD. Officially, in UK law, it is TRPR. The rules are practically identical. Both refer to the same set of product safety, labelling and notification requirements.

So if a UK retailer says a product is TPD-compliant, they mean it meets the TRPR. Same thing.

The hard limits TPD compliance sets

The most visible part of TPD compliance is the set of physical limits on what a product can contain or how it can be packaged.

The ingredient rules

TPD compliance is not just about size and packaging. There are detailed rules about what can and cannot be in vape e-liquid.

What e-liquids cannot contain:

• Colourings that change the appearance of the liquid.
• Caffeine or taurine, which are sometimes marketed as energy-boosting additives.
• Vitamins or substances marketed as having health benefits.
• Substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction (CMR category 1 or 2).
• Substances classified as Specific Target Organ Toxicity (STOT) category 1.
• Diacetyl, the buttery flavour compound linked to popcorn lung in food workers (banned in vape liquid since 2016).

What manufacturers must do:

• Submit a full ingredient list to the MHRA before sale.
• Provide emissions testing results showing what is released when the product is vaped.
• Conduct toxicological assessment of each new ingredient.
• Maintain records of customer complaints, adverse events and ongoing safety testing.

How TPD compliance protects consumers

The whole point of the system is to make sure vape products on UK shelves meet a minimum safety standard. Several mechanisms back this up.

How to spot a TPD-compliant product

Buying from a reputable UK retailer should mean every product is automatically TPD-compliant. But if you want to check yourself, look for these signs.

1. Check the bottle size

   Nicotine e-liquid must be in 10ml or smaller bottles. If you see 30ml of nicotine-containing liquid, it is not compliant.

2. Check the nicotine strength

   Maximum is 20mg/ml. Some labels show this as 2%. Anything higher is not legal for sale in the UK.

3. Check the tank or pod capacity

   2ml maximum. If a product claims a larger tank with nicotine in it, it is not compliant.

4. Look for the health warning

   A clearly visible warning about nicotine addiction on at least 30% of the packaging. Almost universally formatted in a black box with white text.

5. Check the MHRA database

   Every notified product has an EC-ID. You can search this on the MHRA website to confirm a product is registered. Worth doing if you are unsure about a brand.

6. Buy from established UK retailers

   The easiest way. Reputable retailers only stock compliant products because non-compliance carries serious legal risk for them.

What is not covered by TPD

Some categories of vape product sit outside the main TPD rules.

• Nicotine-free e-liquid (sometimes called 0mg shortfills) is not regulated under TPD. It falls under general product safety law instead. Shortfill bottles can therefore be larger than 10ml.
• Vape hardware that does not contain liquid (empty tanks, mods, batteries, coils) is regulated under product safety law rather than TPD.
• CBD vape products are regulated under different rules covering CBD products specifically.
• Cannabis vape products are illegal in the UK, full stop, separate from TPD.

The new vape duty starting 1 October 2026 changes the picture slightly because it applies to all e-liquid including 0mg shortfills. But that is a tax change, not a TPD compliance change.

The bottom line