# Cigarette legal question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 17, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-legal-question/189188 "2003-07-17T17:25:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-legal-question/189188/1 "2003-07-17T17:25:03Z")
Is it, as I suspect, illegal to sell cigarettes individually in the U.S.? If so, what is the rationale behind such a law? ---
**Author:** ![db4530](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@db4530](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/db4530)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-legal-question/189188/2 "2003-07-17T17:34:04Z")
I don’t know that your premise is true. There are places in bars that I have seen where (for a quarter) you can buy an individual cigarette from a vending machine. I saw this in Iowa City, IA one time, but I don’t remember where, so I have no specific cite for you. [This page](http://www.singleshot.za.cx/) discusses the legalities of single-cigarette sales, but I am not sure if it is based on US law. I don’t recognize the suffix on the web address. I suspect that the general rationale for laws prohibiting certain sales of cigarettes is based in taxes (i.e., making sure that all taxes are paid and not evaded) as well as ensuring that minors do not purchase said cigarettes. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-legal-question/189188/3 "2003-07-17T18:29:15Z")
I know it is illegal to sell individual cigarettes like this in Texas. I believe the law varies from state to state, but in Texas it’s seen as a possible way to get around taxes, and therefore is illegal. Bathroom attendants give them individually, but I guess because they’re working for tips and aren’t exactly selling the cigarettes it’s OK. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-legal-question/189188/4 "2003-07-17T19:52:16Z")
I’ve seen shops in Missouri that sell cigarettes individually as well as in packs and cartons. I have no idea whether they’re breaking any laws. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-legal-question/189188/5 "2003-07-17T20:06:04Z")
From the American Cancer Society: > [@](#): > > Sales of Single Cigarettes > > Thirty-three states restrict the sale of cigarettes outside of their original package. Fifteen states–Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah–and the District of Columbia prohibit the sale of cigarettes in packs containing less than 20 cigarettes. Nine states–Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, and Virginia–only require cigarettes to be sold in a sealed package that is provided by the manufacturer and that contains the health warning required by federal law. > > Eight states Alabama, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Rhode Island–require cigarettes to be sold in the original, sealed package as placed by the manufacturer. Washington and Wisconsin only require cigarettes to be sold in the package on which a tax stamp has been affixed. Missouri bans the sale of single cigarettes. Eight states–Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Utah–prohibit roll-your-own cigarettes in an individual package or container that contains less than 0.6 ounces of tobacco. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-legal-question/189188/6 "2003-07-17T20:06:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by db4530 \* > [This page](http://www.singleshot.za.cx/) discusses the legalities of single-cigarette sales, but I am not sure if it is based on US law. I don’t recognize the suffix on the web address. That suffix (.cx) is for Christmas Island. here is a [list of country codes.](http://www.iana.org/cctld/cctld-whois.htm) However, some country codes are used by people wanting to either disguise their true location, or just because they like the unintentional association (i.e., “.tv” is Tuvalu, but is actively promoted to those who want it to be thought of as “TV=Television”). ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-legal-question/189188/7 "2003-07-17T20:09:02Z")
The “singleshots” page is for a business based in South Africa. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-legal-question/189188/8 "2003-07-19T13:39:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nametag \* > \*\*The “singleshots” page is for a business based in South Africa. \*\* Perhaps you know something that cannot be obtained from the URL alone, but “singleshot.za.cx” is a domain name from Christmas Island (.cx), not South Africa (.za). The LAST characters are the highest domain level. It looks to me like the URL was designed to confuse or disguise the source. A [whois search](http://www.netdns.cx/domain_whois.cfm?domain2=za.cx&returndomain=za) turns up very little detail about this registration. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-legal-question/189188/9 "2003-07-19T13:49:40Z")
Well, on their webpage they say they’re a South African company. They have agents in Buffalo City and Port Elizabeth. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-legal-question/189188/10 "2003-07-19T19:27:59Z")
I see that the cite says selling single cigarettes in Michigan is illegal, but despite that I see it done at some of the gas stations in the not-so-nice parts of Detroit. You know, where people can’t afford a measley $4.50 for an entire pack, but just _have_ to have their fix.