Arizona’s New Law Takes Effect: Minimum Age to Purchase and Possess Tobacco Products Raised to 21

Key Points

• SB 1247 in force: Arizona now sets 21 as the minimum age to purchase or possess tobacco products.
• Aligned with federal law: The update brings state law in line with the 2019 federal Tobacco 21 requirement.
• Broad coverage: Cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes (including e-liquids), hookah, and related devices are covered.
• Penalties: Providing tobacco to someone under 21 or under-21 possession is a petty offense; retail sales to under-21s can constitute a Class 3 misdemeanor in specified circumstances.
• Military carve-out: The state allows 18–20-year-old military personnel to purchase or use subject to service and base rules.
• Expected impact: Advocates say raising the age will curb high-school access and may reduce on-campus vaping. (Context reporting.)

2Firsts, September 28, 2025 — A new Arizona statute (SB 1247) took effect on September 26 (Friday), increasing the minimum legal age to purchase or possess tobacco and related products from 18 to 21. Lawmakers passed the measure in June, and the governor signed it on June 27, ensuring state enforcement is consistent with the federal Tobacco 21 standard adopted in 2019 and avoiding potential risks to federal funding.

Under the law, cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes (including e-liquids), hookah, and other tobacco products and smoking paraphernalia fall within the regulatory scope. The statute specifies that supplying covered products to someone under 21—or possession by someone under 21—constitutes a petty offense, while certain retail sales violations can be treated as a Class 3 misdemeanor.

Before this update, Arizona was among the few states whose statutes had not fully synced with the federal age-21 rule, leading to uneven enforcement. Public-health advocates argue that raising the minimum age helps cut off high-school access—often via older peers—and could significantly reduce on-campus vaping.

The law includes a military exception, allowing 18–20-year-old service members to purchase or use tobacco products, but those personnel must still comply with Department of Defense and service-specific regulations, as well as any base-level rules.