Indiana Lawmakers Wrap 2026 Session, Advance Bills Impacting Fuel and Retail Businesses
The Indiana General Assembly wrapped the 2026 Legislative Session on February 27, advancing a slate of bills that will shape the regulatory landscape for fuel marketers, convenience retailers, and related businesses across the state. During the session, lawmakers introduced 742 bills, with 163 measures passing both chambers, along with one joint resolution. Those bills now move to Governor Mike Braun, who has seven calendar days to sign them into law, allow them to take effect without his signature, or issue a veto.
This activity reflects the ongoing importance of advocacy and industry representation. Through legislative engagement, member-driven input on public policy, and broader industry awareness efforts, the association works to ensure the interests of Indiana’s petroleum, convenience, and food retail businesses are represented throughout the policymaking process.
Below is a summary of key legislation impacting the industry:
HEA 1052:
- Requires tobacco wholesalers to obtain a wholesale tobacco sales certificate.
- Requires a person or entity who desires to obtain a retail or wholesale tobacco sales certificate to provide a driver’s license or other identification card. For a business with multiple owners, the applicant must designate at least one managing owner who shall provide the identification.
- Specifies that, except when the real estate is transferred to an independent third party, the ATC shall not issue a retail tobacco sales certificate to a retail location where a tobacco sales certificate was revoked within one year prior to the date of the application.
- Increases the penalties for a retailer whose employees repeatedly fail to provide a valid ID to excise police when selling tobacco products.
- Prohibits the operation of virtual currency kiosks in Indiana.
- Codifies into law the prohibition on using SNAP benefits to purchase candy and soft drinks.
- Increases penalties for a person who sells or distributes a tobacco product or vapor device to a person less than 21 years of age, or a person who purchases a tobacco product or vapor device on behalf of someone less than 21 years of age.
- Makes it a Class C infraction for a person less than 21 years of age to purchase, accept, or possess a vapor device.
- Prohibits a person from advertising an e-liquid or vapor product within 1000 feet of school property.
- Establishes restrictions on the manufacture, sourcing, possession, or sale of e-liquid and e-liquid products, or ingredients for those products, that were manufactured or sourced from a foreign adversary.
- Specifies that those restrictions do not apply to an e-liquid or e-liquid product that has been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration, or is pending review by the FDA.
- Authorizes the cigarette manufacturer's buydown programs.
- Effective March 15, 2026, authorizes a business to round the final cost of a cash transaction to an amount divisible by 5.
- Specifies that an amount rounded up does not constitute gross retail income.
- Requires the IDEM Commissioner to receive and review an initial site characterization and receive and review an evaluation of potential remedial activities to achieve certain objectives before taking certain regulatory actions.