Dallas will expand its existing public smoking restrictions to include vaping beginning December 10.
City officials moved to strengthen rules that already govern where residents can smoke traditional products. The updated policy reflects a broader statewide trend as large cities tighten regulations on e-cigarettes in shared spaces.
The city will prohibit vaping in any public or enclosed area where smoking is already forbidden. The rule applies to bars, workplaces, parks, and any other location that Dallas has previously designated as a no-smoking zone.
The city aims to treat e-cigarettes the same way it treats conventional tobacco products.
City leaders approved the measure last year when the Dallas City Council passed a resolution that updated its 2003 public smoking ban. The council expanded the definition to include vaping devices and electronic products that produce aerosols inhaled through the use of a device. The resolution followed growing calls for consistent enforcement across different forms of nicotine consumption.
Dallas follows several other major Texas cities that have already taken similar steps.
San Antonio banned vaping last year. Austin adopted a comparable restriction in 2017. Houston implemented its own ban in 2022. Each city aligned vaping rules with long-standing prohibitions on smoking in indoor public areas.
The updated Dallas policy also restricts vaping within 15 feet of any entrance to an indoor public facility. City officials included that distance to prevent vapor from drifting into buildings when doors open or close. The requirement mirrors the buffer zones that govern cigarette smoking near public entrances.
The city set a penalty for violations.
Anyone who breaks the rule faces a fine of up to $500. Dallas intends to apply that fine in the same way it applies penalties for traditional smoking offenses. City leaders expect the consistent standard to help enforcement and reduce confusion for both businesses and residents.
The resolution marks the first major update to Dallas’ public smoking rules in more than two decades. The city originally passed its no-smoking ordinance in 2003, years before the arrival of most e-cigarette products. Officials said the new policy closes that gap and brings the city in line with other urban centers that already regulate vaping in shared spaces.