No smoking signs and the law: what you must display, and where

If your premises are smoke-free by law, you must put up a no-smoking sign. In England the rule is short: at least one legible sign, in a prominent place at each entrance, showing the international no-smoking symbol. Company vans and cars that count as smoke-free need a sign too. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own versions with different details. Vaping is a separate question that the smoking law does not settle. Here is what each part means in practice.

Which places are smoke-free #

Enclosed and substantially enclosed workplaces and places open to the public are smoke-free under the Health Act 2006 in England. That covers shops, offices, pubs, cafes, factories, warehouses and the shared areas of many buildings. “Substantially enclosed” catches shelters and covered areas where more than half of the walls are in place, which is why many smoking shelters are open on at least half their sides.

Vehicles used for work by more than one person, or by members of the public, must also be smoke-free, and so must any private car carrying someone under 18.

What the sign must show in England #

The Smoke-free (Signs) Regulations 2012 simplified the old rules. For premises:

• A no-smoking sign must be displayed in a prominent position at each entrance to the smoke-free premises.
• It must be legible and show the international no-smoking symbol: a burning cigarette in a red circle with a red bar across it, at least 70 mm across.
• There is no set wording. A plain symbol meets the law; most businesses add “No smoking” so it is understood at a glance.

Smoke-free work vehicles need the no-smoking symbol displayed in each compartment that carries people, where it can be seen. Private cars carrying children do not need a sign; the ban there applies all the same.

Failing to display the signs can lead to a fixed penalty for whoever manages the premises or vehicle, and to a fine if it goes to court. Your local council’s environmental health team enforces it and can answer questions about your premises.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland #

The rules outside England were set separately and differ in the details, such as the minimum sign size, whether the wording is fixed and, in Wales, signs in both Welsh and English. Wales has also made some outdoor areas smoke-free, including school grounds, hospital grounds and public playgrounds. If you run premises in more than one nation, check each one’s rules rather than using one sign everywhere.

Vaping and e-cigarettes #

The smoke-free law covers tobacco and other things that are smoked. It does not ban vaping indoors. Whether people can vape on your premises is your own policy, and the clearest way to make that policy stick is a sign that says so. Choose the sign that matches your decision:

• No smoking including e-cigarettes if you do not allow either.
• No smoking, electronic cigarettes allowed if you are happy for people to vape.

No smoking for safety, not just the law #

Some areas ban smoking because of what is stored there, not because of the smoke-free law: fuel, gas cylinders, battery charging and flammable chemicals. Those signs belong with the hazard they warn about, and they carry a warning triangle as well as the no-smoking symbol. From our range:

• Danger petroleum mixture, no smoking for fuel stores and forecourts.
• Battery charging area signs combining PPE and no smoking.
• Biological hazard, no smoking for labs and clinical areas.

Each comes in A4 (210 × 297 mm), A3, A2 and A1 (594 × 841 mm), in 3 mm Foamex, 3 mm Dibond or self-adhesive vinyl. For a door or a van window, A4 vinyl is usually plenty; for a yard gate, go up a size and see our guide to sign size and viewing distance. For the wider picture of which signs the law requires, see safety sign regulations.

Questions people ask #