Most products can be sold online without any special permission. But some are banned outright, some can only be sold to adults, and some need a licence or have to be registered before you sell them. A supplier listing a product doesn't mean you can legally sell it in the UK.
This guide goes through the kinds of product gov.uk has its own rules for. If something you want to sell is on this list, read the gov.uk page before you add it to your shop.
Disposable vapes: banned
Since 1 June 2025 it has been illegal for businesses to sell single-use vapes, online or in shops. gov.uk says it is your responsibility to check that the products you sell are legal and count as reusable.
Vapes and nicotine products: adults only
From 29 October 2026, it is an offence for any seller, including online sellers, to sell a vaping or nicotine product to anyone under 18. That now includes nicotine pouches and, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, vapes without nicotine. You can't give away free samples, and every e-cigarette and e-liquid has to be registered with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency before it can be sold. The rules on how online sellers must check age haven't been made yet.
Knives and bladed products
Anything with a blade can only be delivered into the hands of someone aged 18 or over. The parcel must be clearly marked to say so, and it is an offence to deliver one to a locker. These rules apply to online sales. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 will add photo ID checks when the order is placed and again on delivery, but no start date has been set yet.
Alcohol
gov.uk says any business that sells alcohol needs a premises licence, and someone needs a personal licence. That applies whether you sell in a shop or online.
Fireworks
Adult fireworks can't be sold to anyone under 18. To sell them all year round you need a licence. Without one, you can only sell them at set times of year, around Bonfire Night, New Year, Chinese New Year and Diwali, and you still need a licence to store them.
Cosmetics
Every cosmetic product sold in Great Britain needs a Responsible Person with a UK address, who holds its safety paperwork and registers it before it goes on sale. If you bring cosmetics in from abroad, or sell them under your own name, that can be you. Our guide to product safety explains more.
Medicines
Selling medicines is tightly controlled, and gov.uk lists human medicines among the goods that may need a licence to bring into the UK. Unless you are set up to sell medicines, leave them out of your shop.
Other goods that need a licence to bring in
gov.uk's page on importing lists other goods that may need a licence or certificate, including animals and plants, some foods, controlled drugs, chemicals and weapons. If your supplier is abroad, check this page for anything unusual you want to sell.
