Law on Nitrous Oxide

Here you can read about what the new law on nitrous oxide means for your business if you sell nitrous oxide. You will also find a link to the registration system for nitrous oxide sales. If you work with local inspections, you can also read about the municipalities' duty to notify.

The Swedish Parliament has passed a new law on nitrous oxide, which entered into force on 1 July 2025. The purpose of the law is to restrict access to nitrous oxide for intoxication purposes.

Main Provisions of the Law

The main content of the new law on nitrous oxide:

It is prohibited to sell nitrous oxide if there is specific reason to believe it will be used for intoxication.
Sales of nitrous oxide to private individuals may only occur if the gas is contained in or filled into a container holding a maximum of 9 grams.
A maximum of two such containers may be sold or filled per purchase occasion and per person.
When selling larger quantities, the seller must ensure that the buyer is a business entity.
Sales may not be made to persons under the age of 18.
A business operator may not engage in retail sales of nitrous oxide without first notifying the Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten).
Retailers must conduct self-monitoring of their sales and have a self-monitoring program.

Notification Requirement and Self-Monitoring Program

All businesses selling nitrous oxide are subject to the regulations.
Anyone wishing to engage in retail sales (to consumers) must notify the Public Health Agency and establish a self-monitoring program.
Notification can be submitted starting 1 July 2025, but it will be permitted to sell nitrous oxide to consumers until 1 September 2025 without prior notification.
Those who only sell to businesses are not required to notify or establish a self-monitoring program. However, these sales are still subject to other parts of the regulation, such as verifying the buyer is a business.

Regulations and Supervision by the Public Health Agency

The Public Health Agency is responsible for ensuring compliance with most parts of the law. It also receives notifications from businesses intending to sell to consumers and ensures they submit a self-monitoring program.

To help businesses comply and enable effective oversight, the agency has issued regulations covering, among other things, how to notify sales and the contents of the self-monitoring program. The law also grants the agency the right to charge a fee for performing its oversight.

Municipalities’ Duty to Notify

Although municipalities do not conduct supervision of nitrous oxide sales, they may receive information relevant to the Public Health Agency's oversight in the course of their other activities. They are required to forward such information.

This does not mean that municipalities must conduct investigations, but rather that they should share relevant information obtained in their regular duties, such as during inspections of other products.

Notifications can be sent to: registrator@folkhalsomyndigheten.se

Electronic Service for Sales Notification

Those who want to sell nitrous oxide to consumers must notify the Public Health Agency. Use the link below to access the electronic notification service:

Notification System for Nitrous Oxide Sales (lustgas.folkhalsomyndigheten.se)

When notifying your sales, you must attach a self-monitoring program that describes:

How you ensure the nitrous oxide is not used for intoxication.
How the quantity restrictions are upheld.
How age verification is carried out during both sale and delivery.

Public Health Agency Regulation HSLF-FS 2025:49 (folkhalsomyndigheten.se) (in Swedish)