In 2008, Iowa lawmakers passed legislation to protect most Iowans from secondhand smoke. The Smokefree Air Act prohibits smoking in almost all public places and enclosed areas within places of employment, as well as some outdoor areas.
The law applies to: restaurants, bars, outdoor entertainment events, and amphitheaters. It also covers places of employment such as office buildings, health care facilities, and child care facilities.
Smoking is allowed on the gaming floor of a licensed casino, as well as designated hotel and motel rooms. Below are educational materials relating to the law. To order Smokefree Air Act stickers (for businesses or vehicles) please call 888-944-2247. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is charged with enforcement of Iowa's Smoke Free Air Act.
Submit a complaint about a business for alleged violation(s) of the Iowa Smokefree Air Act. You are not required to include your name or contact information, but Iowa HHS strongly suggests that you include your name and contact information with a complaint. Although it is possible to submit a complaint anonymously, this may slow down the department's ability to immediately address the alleged violation because further investigation may be necessary.
Local law enforcement may investigate complaints about alleged violations of the Smokefree Air Act. The Division of Tobacco Use Prevention & Control may notify the proprietor of the public place or place of employment or coordinate a site visit after receipt of a complaint.
NOTE: Complaints should be made within 10 days of observing potential violation(s), in order to facilitate a timely investigation.
Smokefree Air Act FAQs
The Iowa Smokefree Air Act prohibits smoking in the common areas of apartment buildings (stairs, hallways, laundry room, etc) but does not prohibit smoking in an individual's apartment.
Smoking can be prohibited by the property owner or apartment manager and we suggest you look for a non-smoking residence before you move..
The law went into effect on July 1, 2008.
The Iowa Smokefree Air Act does not have a distance requirement.
The Iowa Smokefree Air Act does not apply to Electronic Smoking Devices (e-cigs, vape, Juul, etc...). The use of these products MAY be prohibited by a business or property owner if they adopt such a policy.
Smoking is prohibited in the outdoor seating and/ or serving area of a restaurant. A restaurant is an establishment that prepares food. (Usually they will have a kitchen, a fryer or grill, etc. The difference is between, for example, making a pizza or just warming one up). Outdoor seating and/ or serving areas must be marked as non-smoking when you enter the area.
Smoking is not prohibited in the “cabs of motortrucks or truck tractors if no nonsmoking employees are present.” Iowa Code § 142D.4(7).
“Motor truck” and “truck tractors” are not defined in the SFAA but are defined in Iowa Code chapter 321:
“motor truck” means every motor vehicle designed primarily for carrying livestock, merchandise, freight of any kind, or over nine persons as passengers”
“trucktractor” means every motor vehicle designed and used primarily for drawing other vehicles and not so constructed as to carry a load other than a part of the weight of the vehicle and load so drawn.” Iowa Code § 321.1(41), (88)
You can order free No Smoking signs (clings or stickers) by emailing TobContactUs@idph.iowa.gov. Please include how many you need, if you want clings or stickers, and where to send them. You can also call 888-944-2247.
Order No Smoking and Tobacco & Nicotine Free Signage
For General Use
Download copies below. 4x6 signs are for buildings and 3x3 signs are for use with vehicles:
Price: Order for free. There is no cost to order signage.
Contact Information & Mailing Address: Your full name and the address to mail the signage.
Design: Which signage option do you want?
A and B are for general use.
E and F are for organizations and businesses that also want to prohibit vaping and other tobacco use.
There are two directional options for the "No Smoking" and two directional options for "Nicotine Free" - 3 inches by 3 inches or 4 inches by 6 inches.
Quantity: How many of each design to you want? Do you want them as clings or stickers or both?
Clings are sticky on the front and go on the inside of a door or window.
Stickers are sticky on the back and go on the outside of a door, window, or wall.
Option A: No Smoking (English/Spanish) Building Cling or Sticker 6"x4" (Buildings)
Option B: No Smoking (English/ Spanish) Vehicle Cling or Sticker 3" x 3" (Vehicles)
Option E: Tobacco Free/ Nicotine Free stickers or clings 6" x 4" (Buildings)
Option F: Tobacco Free/ Nicotine Free Vehicle sticker or cling: 3" x 3" (Vehicles)
* To ensure the business has a strong tobacco-free/nicotine-free policy, and to qualify for free window signs and metal outdoor signage, the policy must explicitly include all of the following: Policy must extend to all types of tobacco, nicotine and electronic smoking devices (ESD) products (i.e. not only cigarettes; include all tobacco, ESDs and nicotine products not approved by the FDA for cessation.) Policy must extend to employees & visitors Policy must apply at all times Policy must extend to company vehicles Policy must extend to entire business property to receive outdoor signage.
The Smokefree Air Act requires businesses to post “no smoking” signs at every entrance that “clearly and conspicuously” inform persons that they are entering an area where smoking is prohibited, including entrances to outdoor serving and seating areas and in all vehicles owned, leased, or provided by an employer.
All “no smoking” signs must contain the following elements:
The words “No Smoking” or the international “No Smoking” symbol
The Smokefree Air Act Helpline: “1-888-944-2247”
The official Web site: hhs.iowa.gov/smokefreeair
All “no smoking” signs should be at least 24 square inches in size, 6x4 is a common size or 8x3. Font type and size must be legible. Vehicle signage must meet all of the above requirements, but the size can be at least 9 square inches.
Quitline Iowa Quitline Iowa is a toll-free, statewide, tobacco cessation telephone counseling hotline. Trained counselors provide callers with information about the health consequences of tobacco use, assistance in making an individualized quit plan, and on-going support through optional follow-up calls: 1-800-Quit-Now
Iowa HHS Tobacco Use Prevention & Control The mission of the Division of Tobacco Use Prevention and Control is to establish a comprehensive partnership among state government, local communities, and the people of Iowa to foster a social and legal climate in which tobacco use becomes undesirable and unacceptable.
The laws and rules governing Iowa's Smoke Free Air Act include:
Need information about how the Iowa Smokefree Air Act applies in certain locations or situations? Choose a fact sheet below to learn more. (Are we missing information that you're looking for? Use Contact Us link for more information.)
