---
type: "Bill"
title: "Alcohol and tobacco matters."
description: "Specifies, with respect to a tobacco sales certificate (certificate), that a permitted premises may not include sleeping or living quarters. Provides that a person may not sell a tobacco product or electronic cigarette at wholesale without a certificate. Adds additional information an applicant must provide to the alcohol and tobacco commission (commission) when applying for a certificate. Provides, with one exception, that the commission shall not issue a certificate to a retail location where a certificate was revoked within one year prior to the application. Specifies the circumstances under which the commission must either suspend or revoke a certificate if the certificate holder's employees violate employee identification requirements three or more times in one year. Makes it a Class C infraction for a certificate holder or employee to violate particular identification requirements. Modifies the application of certain statutes concerning vapor pens and e-liquid. Establishes various requirements and penalties applicable to e-liquid, e-liquid products, and vapor devices, including restrictions on the manufacture, sourcing, possession, sale, and distribution of foreign adversary products. Specifies that certain provisions concerning vapor pens and e-liquid do not authorize the manufacturing, sale, possession, or use of a controlled substance or any product containing a controlled substance. Amends the requirements for an initial and renewal application to manufacture e-liquids or e-liquid products. Requires, in a provision concerning the sale of cigarettes, that a buydown be considered in determining the cost to the retailer or cost to the distributor. Specifies an exception. Adds the sale of alcohol without a permit to the violations which may constitute racketeering activity. Changes the infraction of the habitual illegal sale of tobacco products from six violations in a year to three violations in a year. Changes the infraction of the habitual illegal entrance by a minor from six violations to three violations in a year. Specifies that a prohibition on the sale, use, or distribution of flavored nitrous oxide does not apply to a law enforcement agency disposing of flavored nitrous oxide by donation to a nonprofit organization."
jurisdiction: "us/states/in"
legislature: "Indiana General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "SB 185"
citation: "Indiana SB 185 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["AGENCIES; Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC)", "ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO; Alcohol Products", "ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO; Generally", "ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO; Licenses and Permits", "ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO; Tobacco and Nicotine Products", "BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS; Generally", "CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE; Offenses Against Public Health", "Order", "and Decency"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Heath VanNatter", "Kyle Walker", "Ron Alting"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 40
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2026-01-05"
last_action: "2026-03-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7ea7b590-a3c4-4a73-b517-865ccdeaec91"
source_url: "https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/sb0185"
source_hash: "dbaa0a215e5a256fa7bd99383b480d81ab6aa948946e72716dec75e648051dc5"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-in"]
---

# Indiana SB 185 (2026) — Alcohol and tobacco matters.

Specifies, with respect to a tobacco sales certificate (certificate), that a permitted premises may not include sleeping or living quarters. Provides that a person may not sell a tobacco product or electronic cigarette at wholesale without a certificate. Adds additional information an applicant must provide to the alcohol and tobacco commission (commission) when applying for a certificate. Provides, with one exception, that the commission shall not issue a certificate to a retail location where a certificate was revoked within one year prior to the application. Specifies the circumstances under which the commission must either suspend or revoke a certificate if the certificate holder's employees violate employee identification requirements three or more times in one year. Makes it a Class C infraction for a certificate holder or employee to violate particular identification requirements. Modifies the application of certain statutes concerning vapor pens and e-liquid. Establishes various requirements and penalties applicable to e-liquid, e-liquid products, and vapor devices, including restrictions on the manufacture, sourcing, possession, sale, and distribution of foreign adversary products. Specifies that certain provisions concerning vapor pens and e-liquid do not authorize the manufacturing, sale, possession, or use of a controlled substance or any product containing a controlled substance. Amends the requirements for an initial and renewal application to manufacture e-liquids or e-liquid products. Requires, in a provision concerning the sale of cigarettes, that a buydown be considered in determining the cost to the retailer or cost to the distributor. Specifies an exception. Adds the sale of alcohol without a permit to the violations which may constitute racketeering activity. Changes the infraction of the habitual illegal sale of tobacco products from six violations in a year to three violations in a year. Changes the infraction of the habitual illegal entrance by a minor from six violations to three violations in a year. Specifies that a prohibition on the sale, use, or distribution of flavored nitrous oxide does not apply to a law enforcement agency disposing of flavored nitrous oxide by donation to a nonprofit organization.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Engrossed Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2026/senate/bills/SB0185/SB0185.05.ENGH.pdf)
2. **Enrolled Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2026/senate/bills/SB0185/SB0185.06.ENRH.pdf)
3. **Introduced Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2026/senate/bills/SB0185/SB0185.01.INTR.pdf)
4. **Senate Bill (H)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2026/senate/bills/SB0185/SB0185.04.COMH.pdf)
5. **Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2026/senate/bills/SB0185/SB0185.02.COMS.pdf)

## Votes

- SB 185 - Alting — **47–0** (pass) · upper
- SB 185 - VanNatter — **95–0** (pass) · lower
- SB 185 - Alting - 3rd Reading — **45–0** (pass) · upper
- SB 185 - VanNatter - 3rd Reading — **90–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Heath VanNatter — primary (person)
- Kyle Walker — primary (person)
- Ron Alting — primary (person)
- David Niezgodski — coauthor (person)
- Ethan Manning — cosponsor (person)
- Jean Leising — coauthor (person)
- Mark Spencer — coauthor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-01-05** First reading: referred to Committee on Public Policy `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2026-01-05** Authored by Senators Alting, Walker K
- **2026-01-15** Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations `committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2026-01-15** Senator Spencer added as coauthor
- **2026-01-22** Committee report: amend do pass, adopted `committee-passage`
- **2026-01-26** Second reading: ordered engrossed `reading-2`
- **2026-01-27** House sponsor: Representative VanNatter
- **2026-01-27** Senator Leising added as coauthor
- **2026-01-27** Third reading: passed; Roll Call 102: yeas 45, nays 0 `passage, reading-3, reading-3`
- **2026-01-27** House sponsor: Representative Manning
- **2026-01-27** Cosponsor: Representative Manning
- **2026-01-28** Representative Manning removed as sponsor
- **2026-01-28** Senator Niezgodski added as coauthor
- **2026-01-28** Referred to the House `referral`
- **2026-01-29** First reading: referred to Committee on Public Policy `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2026-02-12** Committee report: amend do pass, adopted `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-17** Amendment #2 (Manning) prevailed; voice vote `amendment-passage`
- **2026-02-17** Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed `reading-2`
- **2026-02-18** Third reading: passed; Roll Call 272: yeas 90, nays 0 `passage, reading-3, reading-3`
- **2026-02-19** Returned to the Senate with amendments `receipt`
- **2026-02-23** Senate advisors appointed: Niezgodski, Walker K
- **2026-02-23** Motion to dissent filed `filing`
- **2026-02-23** Senate conferees appointed: Alting, Spencer
- **2026-02-23** Senate dissented from House amendments
- **2026-02-24** House conferees appointed: VanNatter, Moed
- **2026-02-24** House advisors appointed: Manning, Lehman, Summers
- **2026-02-25** Dissent rescinded
- **2026-02-25** Motion to concur filed `filing`
- **2026-02-26** Senate dissented from House amendments
- **2026-02-26** Concurrence withdrawn `withdrawal`
- **2026-02-26** Motion to dissent filed `filing`
- **2026-02-27** Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 329: yeas 47, nays 0
- **2026-02-27** CCR # 1 filed in the Senate `filing`
- **2026-02-27** CCR # 1 filed in the House `filing`
- **2026-03-05** Signed by the President Pro Tempore `passage`
- **2026-03-03** Signed by the Speaker `passage`
- **2026-03-12** Signed by the Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-03-12** Public Law 148 `became-law`
- **2026-02-27** Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 429: yeas 95, nays 0
- **2026-03-02** Signed by the President of the Senate `passage`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/7ea7b590-a3c4-4a73-b517-865ccdeaec91`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Indiana legislature records).