Youth protection at vending machines: securing alcohol, tobacco and e-cigarettes properly

Cigarettes, e-cigarettes, wine or beer from a vending machine are in demand, especially at petrol stations and kiosks, in farm shops and hotels. At the same time, age-restricted goods are among the most strictly regulated areas of the vending business. Mistakes here risk heavy fines and, in the worst case, the machine being shut down. This guide shows what applies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and how age verification works at the machine.

Germany: Youth Protection Act (JuSchG)

The age limits

Beer, wine, sparkling wine and mixed drinks containing them must not be sold to young people under 16. Spirits and drinks containing spirits, including alcopops, are only permitted from 18 (Section 9(1) JuSchG). Tobacco products, e-cigarettes and e-shishas must not be sold to minors, explicitly including products without nicotine (Section 10 JuSchG).

Tobacco and e-cigarettes in vending machines

In public, tobacco products and e-cigarettes may only be sold via vending machines if the machine is located in a place inaccessible to children and young people, or if technical devices or constant supervision ensure that minors cannot remove anything (Section 10(2) JuSchG). An outdoor machine at a petrol station or kiosk is therefore possible if the age verification at the machine works reliably.

Alcohol in vending machines

For alcohol, the law is stricter. A machine in public is only permitted if it is located in a place inaccessible to minors, or in a commercially used room in which technical devices or constant supervision prevent children and young people from removing goods (Section 9(3) JuSchG). In the second case, both conditions must be met: the commercially used room and the safeguard.

The administrative courts interpret this narrowly. An outdoor wine and beer machine is not permitted even with ID or card verification, because it is not located in a commercially used room (VG Stuttgart, judgment of 22.08.2024, 1 K 3274/22). A machine on the property boundary that is operated from the street is not sufficient either (VG Koblenz, judgment of 27.05.2024, 3 K 972/23.KO). A wine vending machine therefore belongs in the farm shop, the hotel or the sales room, not on the outside wall.

Under Section 20 No. 1 of the Restaurant Act (Gaststättengesetz), spirits may generally not be offered via vending machines. Some federal states have their own restaurant acts, so clarify your individual case in advance with your municipality or the public order office.

Fines

Breaches of the sales and vending machine rules of the Youth Protection Act are administrative offences and can be punished with a fine of up to 50,000 euros (Section 28 JuSchG).

Which age verification is sufficient?

The Youth Protection Act does not prescribe any specific technology. What matters is that the check actually prevents sales to minors. Common methods are verification via the youth protection feature of the girocard, which is standard on cigarette machines, and document readers that read ID cards or driving licences directly at the machine. Systems with facial recognition process biometric data and should also be checked for data protection compliance.

Austria: tobacco monopoly and Trade Regulation Act

The age limits

In Austria, youth protection is a matter for the federal states, but the age limits are now largely uniform: beer and wine from 16, distilled alcohol and drinks containing spirits from 18. Tobacco and related products must not be sold to under-18s anywhere in Austria.

Tobacco, e-liquids and nicotine pouches only via tobacconists (Trafiken)

Tobacco products are subject to the tobacco monopoly. Only licensed tobacconists (Trafikanten) may sell them via vending machines, and only with machines installed in or on their shop premises (Section 36(8) Tobacco Monopoly Act). If access to the machine by minors is not excluded, it requires a technical device that prevents sales to them (Section 24(4) Tobacco Monopoly Act). Since 1 April 2026, nicotine pouches have also been reserved for tobacconists, and e-liquids for tobacconists and licensed specialist shops. For businesses without a tobacconist licence, a tobacco or vape vending machine in Austria is therefore not an option.

Alcohol only on business premises

Alcoholic drinks may not be sold via vending machines outside the business premises (Section 52(2) Trade Regulation Act). In April 2026, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled that a vending shop in which neither the trader nor staff are present is not business premises in this sense (VwGH, Ra 2026/04/0008). A wine vending machine is therefore conceivable in a winery’s sales room or in a hotel, but not in an unstaffed vending shop. Machines that you set up outside your business location must be notified to the district authority in advance (Section 52(1) Trade Regulation Act).

Switzerland: Tobacco Products Act and Alcohol Act

Tobacco and e-cigarettes

The Tobacco Products Act has applied since 1 October 2024. Tobacco products and e-cigarettes must not be sold to minors anywhere in Switzerland. This also applies to e-cigarettes without nicotine, heated tobacco products and nicotine products for oral use. Sales via vending machines are only permitted if the products are not accessible to minors (Art. 23 TabPG). According to the Federal Office of Public Health, a confirmation click is not enough; an effective check is required, for example via an ID document. The cantons carry out test purchases, and breaches can be punished with fines of up to 40,000 francs. Some cantons go further; Valais, for example, bans the sale of disposable e-cigarettes.

Alcohol

Beer and wine must not be sold to young people under 16 (Art. 14 Food Act). Distilled spirits are only permitted from 18 and must not be sold via generally accessible vending machines (Art. 41 Alcohol Act). In addition, every point of sale needs a cantonal licence for the retail sale of spirits. A clearly visible notice of the minimum age must be displayed at the point of sale, and alcoholic drinks must be clearly distinguishable from non-alcoholic ones (Art. 42 LGV). The cantons may impose additional requirements on beer and wine vending machines, so check with the responsible cantonal office in advance.

Age verification on VendSpot vending machines

For age-restricted goods, we build the age verification directly into the machine. The document reader ICT DCM5 reads valid ID cards and driving licences, is connected via the MDB interface and only releases the goods once the minimum age has been verified. Complete solutions include the vape vending machine with ID scanner or facial recognition and the cigarette and vape vending machine TCN-D900-9C. We discuss with you before you order which verification is right for your location and your country.

Checklist before you start

• Determine the age limit for every product in the range, 16 or 18 years
• Check the location: publicly accessible, commercially used room or a place inaccessible to minors
• In Germany, only offer alcohol in a commercially used room with age verification or supervision
• In Austria, sell tobacco, e-liquids and nicotine pouches only as a licensed tobacconist, and alcohol only on business premises
• In Switzerland, do not sell spirits via generally accessible machines and clarify the cantonal licence
• Install technical age verification and test it regularly
• Display a clearly visible minimum age notice on the machine
• Check data protection for biometric methods

Which registrations and permits a vending machine needs otherwise is explained in our guide Setting up a vending machine. What applies to deliveries to Austria and Switzerland is set out on our pages for Austria and Switzerland. You can reach us Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm on +49 176 63463646 or by email to kontakt@vendspot.shop.

As of: October 2026. This overview does not replace legal advice in individual cases.