Dallas just put e-cigarettes on the same no-go list as cigarettes in public spaces. That means no vaping indoors, on park property, or within 15 feet of building entrances—right in line with the city’s existing smoking rules. The City Council amended the municipal smoking code this winter, setting fines and a compliance window for businesses before the changes kick in this December 2025. Here’s what to know about where you can—and can’t—vape.
What the ordinance does
The council updated Chapter 41 of the Dallas City Code to define “electronic smoking device,” revise the definition of “smoking” to explicitly include vaping, and set an effective date in December 2025 with a penalty not to exceed $500. The move closes a regulatory gap by treating e-cigarettes the same as combustible tobacco in places already covered by the city’s smoking rules, per City of Dallas legislation.
City officials said the ordinance does not add any new locations to the smoking code, but it does require businesses to update signage and gives the public time to comply. Interim City Manager Kimberly Tolbert framed the change as a public-health step and noted coordination with health partners in the rollout, according to a city news release.
What changes for everyday Dallasites
Vaping will be banned in all indoor and enclosed public areas, on park property, and within 15 feet of building entrances—everywhere smoking is already prohibited. Restaurants, hotels, gyms, and other businesses will need to refresh their no-smoking signs to clearly include electronic smoking devices. Local coverage lays out the scope of the restrictions and the potential fine for violations, as reported by The Dallas Morning News.
How Dallas fits into a statewide trend
Dallas is hardly alone. San Antonio updated its smoking ordinance to include electronic smoking devices effective Jan. 1, 2025, per the city’s public-health page. Austin folded e-cigarettes into its smoke-free rules back in 2017. And Houston amended its smoking code in 2022 to add e-cigarettes, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Health concerns behind the move
City leaders and health advocates point to youth vaping and secondhand aerosol exposure. Federal data summarized by the U.S. Surgeon General show more than 1.6 million U.S. middle and high school students reported current e-cigarette use in 2024. Dallas County also reported its first vaping-related death in 2020, a case local health officials cited during early briefings on the ordinance.
Enforcement and what to expect
The city signaled a one-year compliance window for businesses to update signage and said enforcement will be complaint-based, with penalties available for noncompliance, per materials from city partners and public-health advocates. Residents looking to quit can tap Dallas County programs—including a teen tobacco and vaping cessation program—for enrollment and support…