Effective January 1, 2016, the minimum age for purchasing cigarettes and other tobacco products in the State of Hawaii has changed from age 18 to age 21. In addition, several states require purchasers of tobacco to be age 19 or older: Alaska, Alabama, New Jersey, and Utah. Postal Service™ employees should be aware of these requirements and ensure that the sender and recipient meet the required minimum age as specified in Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, and should be especially watchful when the item is being sent or received in an area where the minimum purchasing age is above age 18.
Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail
* * * * *
4 Restricted Matter
* * * * *
47 Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco
* * * * *
472 Mailability
* * * * *
472.2 Mailability Exceptions
* * * * *
472.22 Exception for Business⁄Regulatory Purposes
* * * * *
472.223 Delivery
* * * * *
[Revise the first sentence of item a. to read as follows:]
a. The recipient must be an adult of at least the minimum age for the legal sale or purchase of tobacco products at the place of delivery, which should be verified by a postal employee before releasing or delivering the item to the recipient.***
* * * * *
472.231 Entry and Acceptance
* * * * *
[Revise item b. by adding a second sentence to read as follows:]
***This must be confirmed by postal employees.
* * * * *
472.233 Delivery
* * * * *
[Revise item a. by adding a second sentence to read as follows:]
***This must be confirmed by postal employees.
* * * * *
472.243 Delivery
* * * * *
[Revise the text of item a. to read as follows:]
a. The recipient signing for the article must be an adult of at least 21 years of age.
* * * * *
[Add new 472.25 and Exhibit 472.25, then renumber current 472.25 as 472.26.]
472.25 Minimum Purchasing Age
Several states require purchasers of tobacco to be age 19 or older (see Exhibit 472.25). If not specified, then the minimum age is presumed to be 18 years of age under federal law. Additionally, there are cities and counties across the country that have set minimum purchasing ages above those mandated by their respective states. Postal Service employees should check with their local city and county governments to ensure that those localities do not have supplementary age requirements for tobacco sales.
Exhibit 472.25 Minimum Purchasing Age
* * * * *
We will incorporate this revision into the next online update of Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http:⁄⁄pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Marketing, 3-17-16
