Which are the most cigar-friendly states?

[ColdCuts]

After nearly fifteen years, I'm getting tired of NYC. Let's say I was going to relocate. For the sake of this thread, let's say cigars are the single most important thing in my life. To which state should I move to enjoy the most freedom cigar-wise?

[ApexAZ]

After nearly fifteen years, I'm getting tired of NYC. Let's say I was going to relocate. For the sake of this thread, let's say cigars are the single most important thing in my life. To which state should I move to enjoy the most freedom cigar-wise?

I feel pretty fortunate in AZ. Tax is like a flat 25 cents per cigar, or something like that. I go to Fox Cigar Bar and smoke and drink to my hearts content. I smoke outdoors to my hearts content.

I burn up in miserable 115 "dry" heat in the summer, which results in a much bigger monthly bar tab at Fox in the cool AC :)

But right now it's about 90 and I'm enjoying a pipe in the courtyard outside of my work. It's very nice right now.

I think Texas is pretty good for cigars too.

[The Poet]

Hey, I'm not hassled here, and I'm only 25 miles from Manhattan. Just today I lit one up in front of 4 borough officers and, as usual, got no more than a friendly nod. Doesn't hurt that they know me, nor that half the force moonlights as security at JRs in Whippany, about a 10-minute drive away, with a bar (and bar food), two lounges, and barn-sized walk-in.

Taxes don't bug me, since I purchase online.

[longknocker]

Alabama Is Good. Cheap Taxes & You Can Smoke "Almost" Anywhere.:D:tu

[WhiteMamba]

I have no idea but given that CI and Famous Smoke are in Pennsylvania I would think that they must not be too bad. :2

[AdamJoshua]

It's not California, insane tax, land of the dem so you can't smoke anywhere, a couple nice small B&Ms with very comfy chairs (no one expects the Spanish Inquisition!), beer and wine, yet we have the S.H.I.T. herf crew, while we don't have places with barn-sized walk in humidors, we do have 932,012 small craft breweries, the annual SoCal mega Herf and the average temp is something like 72 degrees. :r

[Sweet_Leaf_PDX]

Of all the places I have been... I would say Texas.

[RWhisenand]

Nevada, I think pretty much everything is legal here.

[Remo]

Ummmm.....Florida :sh

[azar]

I like Wyoming myself. Not many B&M's but the internet is pretty easy!

[smokin5]

Gotta agree AZ is OK, but unless you're somewhere with a
"grandfathered" smoking lounge, you're out of luck smoking
anywhere inside. Of course you can smoke at home, like me.
And don't forget, there's plenty of places in AZ where you don't
have to live in the kiln that is Phoenix/Tucson area. Just head
for the mountains. I live a mile high & no unbearable summers.
That said, we DO have winter, though, including snow.
As a former NYer myself, I'd say it's a far better place to live
than NYC.

[nutcracker]

Cuba

[CigarNut]

For me it is difficult to separate "Cigar Friendly" from the weather. For example, Oregon's smoking laws are pretty tough. You can't smoke indoors with a few exceptions: you can smoke in some cigar stores (no alcohol for sale) and we have a few pretty good cigar lounges where you can smoke, drink, eat and watch sports on TV.

You cannot smoke outside in most public areas. But you can smoke outside at home (single family dwellings). The temps don't hit extremes so smoking outside is fine from late spring through early fall; however, you may need some overhead protection for the rain. If you have an outdoor heater you can smoke outdoors other times of the year.

I like to smoke outside, so for me Oregon is cigar friendly. States where the heat or cold can be extreme would not be cigar friendly for me. I have also found California to be cigar friendly when I visit, but I don't live there, so take that with a grain of salt.

Just my :2...

[mosesbotbol]

Oklahoma is cigar friendly.

[nutcracker]

Not moving too far, isn't New Jersey a bit easier??
(I've also enjoyed great lounges in Texas* and Rhode Island in particular though)

I'm a visitor when in the US, so my perception is different.

*Texas is also blessed with some knockout women

[Dave128]

If you want to get away from the city life, Upstate NY isn't too shabby (I'm talking Albany and north). Other than a couple months out of the year due to cold temps, I smoke to my hearts content on either my front porch or back deck. I also have a really nice B&M five minutes away from my house that has a large lounge and huge walk-in.

[The Poet]

Dave has a point about upstate NY, though there's no guarantee that Cuomo won't eventually "Bloomberg" it too. :r

[Dude Here]

I would say Florida, with Texas as a close second.

[mosesbotbol]

I also have a really nice B&M five minutes away from my house that has a large lounge and huge walk-in.

There's a cigar lounge 2 miles from my house I have never been to. Living room or kitchen are my favorite places to smoke a cigar.

[ColdCuts]

Not moving too far, isn't New Jersey a bit easier??
(I've also enjoyed great lounges in Texas* and Rhode Island in particular though)

I'm a visitor when in the US, so my perception is different.

*Texas is also blessed with some knockout women

Majority of votes are for Texas so far. Knockout women are certainly a plus. :tu I won't bring it up to the wife if I pitch a proposal to move there. She's actually from Texas, but is hesitant to move back. The times I've been, I've liked Texas quite a lot.

Just for fun, here are the current standings, arranged first by number of votes and alphabetical:

Texas 4 - Knockout women, and I'll add 'amazing BBQ'

Arizona 2 - Flat $0.25 per cigar tax
Florida 2
New Jersey 2 - Home of barn-sized JR Cigar stores
New York (upstate) 2

Alabama - Cheap taxes, smoke almost anywhere
California - Tough taxes and bans, but the weather is nice
Massachusetts
Nevada - Everything is legal!
Oklahoma
Oregon - Tough taxes and bans, but the weather is nice
Pennsylvania - Home to CI and Famous
Rhode Island
Wyoming

*Vote for Cuba excluded for not being one of the United States. ;)

Joking aside, you'd think there'd be a complete resource where this kind of information would be all in one place. You know?

[ApexAZ]

There is a complete resource somewhere concerning state taxes.

I'm not sure what Smokin5 meant with this though: "Gotta agree AZ is OK, but unless you're somewhere with a
"grandfathered" smoking lounge, you're out of luck smoking
anywhere inside."

It was my understanding that if you are a smoke shop, you can smoke inside. Perhaps something has changed, but every B&M I've been to has allowed smoking inside. It's true that other businesses (like a bar or restaurant) can not legally allow smoking, but I'm not sure if such a state exists, and even if it does, it's likely that won't last forever.

Phoenix has a couple nice cigar bars. I am fortunate enough to live a few miles from one of the better ones. This place really is a life-saver during the summer months. It's nice to be able to go into a climate controlled bar and have a cigar and whisky :) They are the only bars you can smoke in and they get away with it because their tobacco sales exceed liquor sales, so they are primarily a tobacconist. During the winter I spend a lot more time on my patio enjoying the nicer weather.

I think Texas and AZ are going to be very similar in terms of being cigar friendly. Both are very gun friendly too, which of course NYC is not. We have some pretty good 'cue also, but nothing can stand up to the legendary Texas barbecue!

Edit: To add, the California recommendations make some valid points in that they seem to have a great community with lots of organized herfs.

[mahtofire14]

MN sure isn't. While there are a few nice b&m's around which you can smoke inside, the price of tobacco is about twice as much as average prices.

[mosesbotbol]

Colorado??

Denver airport has a "bring your own" cigar lounge/bar right in the middle

[the nub]

I'd say sober is a pretty friendly state. Slightly intoxicated is usually pretty friendly also. Fallin ass drunk would be a very sorry state, though.

[ColdCuts]

I'd say sober is a pretty friendly state. Slightly intoxicated is usually pretty friendly also. Fallin ass drunk would be a very sorry state, though.

;) You know, it's occurred to me that a better title for this thread might've been, "U.S. residents, is your state cigar-friendly or not?

All US-based members could then chime in about the degree of cigar-friendlyness where they are. It's a tougher thing to ask folks about places they don't know. That's my shortsightedness.

[shark]

Not Michigan, either. High tobacco taxes and no smoking allowed indoors at any establishments at all except for casinos, tobacco shops, or cigar bars. Cigar bars are a funny thing here, in that they have to make at least 10% of their revenue from tobacco sales in order to allow smoking indoors. Oh yeah, and any bar with outside seating, still no smoking. Gee, I feel so lucky that the gov't. in Lansing still allows me to smoke at home! :gary http://forums.cigarweekly.com/images/smilies/cowpoop.gif

[Gabe215]

I'd say Florida, PA has a low tax as well, tons of B&M's but cigars are part of Floridas culture so it's very smoke friendly!:2

[JohnRogers]

Oklahoma is cigar friendly.
I have to agree. I've been benchmarking cigar lounges in many states getting ready to open one in Oklahoma. Law and Tax wise Oklahoma is pretty damn good, we just need more lounges...heh-heh let me get back to work on that.

[mosesbotbol]

I have to agree. I've been benchmarking cigar lounges in many states getting ready to open one in Oklahoma. Law and Tax wise Oklahoma is pretty damn good, we just need more lounges...heh-heh let me get back to work on that.

Make the cigar lounge look like Juniors in OKC. Mad Men and bordello cross, but add some modern touches.

[mahtofire14]

Not Michigan, either. High tobacco taxes and no smoking allowed indoors at any establishments at all except for casinos, tobacco shops, or cigar bars. Cigar bars are a funny thing here, in that they have to make at least 10% of their revenue from tobacco sales in order to allow smoking indoors. Oh yeah, and any bar with outside seating, still no smoking. Gee, I feel so lucky that the gov't. in Lansing still allows me to smoke at home! :gary http://forums.cigarweekly.com/images/smilies/cowpoop.gif

I'm waiting for the day they tell us we can't smoke in our backyards! :gary

[smokin5]

[QUOTE=ApexAZ;1990408]
I'm not sure what Smokin5 meant with this though: "Gotta agree AZ is OK, but unless you're somewhere with a
"grandfathered" smoking lounge, you're out of luck smoking
anywhere inside."

It was my understanding that if you are a smoke shop, you can smoke inside. Perhaps something has changed, but every B&M I've been to has allowed smoking inside. It's true that other businesses (like a bar or restaurant) can not legally allow smoking, but I'm not sure if such a state exists, and even if it does, it's likely that won't last forever.

8 * * * * *

What I meant was that you cannot open a NEW cigar lounge in AZ,
at least that's my understanding. The ones that existed when the
smoking ban kicked in a few years back (i.e., "grandfathered" in legal
jargon) are allowed to continue, but no new ones will be approved
by the powers that be. In the case of my town, no cigar lounges
exist, so we can be assured we'll never see one here. Then again,
with my deck & den operating as a regular 'nonprofit' cigar lounge,
I don't really care whether we get a real lounge. My friends come
to my place for a smoke & a joke.-(P

[RandJCigars]

As far as Taxes are concerned...Florida and Pennsylvania both have $0.00 tax on Premium Cigars...Texas is a close second/third with $0.011 tax per cigar; in other words, for a box of cigars, the tax in Texas is like $0.30...

[badbriar]

FL hands down. Big cigar industry in Tampa and Miami and lowest cigar taxes in US. Plenty of cigar lounges and B&M's and lots of local pubs that are cigar friendly. :tu

[ColdCuts]

I found this handy 2014 tax chart...

http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/otp.pdf

Now, if only I could find a similar chart that breaks down all the bans and anti-smoking laws.

[ApexAZ]

What I meant was that you cannot open a NEW cigar lounge in AZ,
at least that's my understanding. The ones that existed when the
smoking ban kicked in a few years back (i.e., "grandfathered" in legal
jargon) are allowed to continue, but no new ones will be approved
by the powers that be. In the case of my town, no cigar lounges
exist, so we can be assured we'll never see one here. Then again,
with my deck & den operating as a regular 'nonprofit' cigar lounge,
I don't really care whether we get a real lounge. My friends come
to my place for a smoke & a joke.-(P

I gotcha. Where abouts are you located in AZ? I know my cigar lounge opened another store about 2 years ago and planning a new one in Scottsdale. Perhaps this is a city/county law, or perhaps since they are already established as a tobacco dealer, they can branch out?

I'll ask them next time I'm in.

[smokin5]

Oops, I was wrong about the 'grandfathered' tobacco store in AZ.
At least under the applicable state law, smoking is permitted in a retail
tobacco store which "derives a majority of its sales from tobacco
products and accessories". no language about only existing shops.
My bad. Carry on.....

[STEVE S]

I live in Florida, and we can smoke our cigars out doors almost any where. We have many B&M, and all most no taxes on cigars.

[shilala]

I lived in PA my first 40 some-odd years. They pretty much expected you to smoke a cigar. Everybody loved a cigar, and if you wandered in with a pipe, people were happy for it. I don't think there's anyone in the world who doesn't like the smell of a good pipe tobacco.
There are tons of cigar stores in PA, and anywhere smoking is allowed, cigars are welcome. The anti-smoking laws are very lenient compared to other states. There are loads of places folks can smoke indoors.

I'm in Ohio now, and I can't say that the folks here are any less tolerant. The taxes are decent, and there are lots of B&M's. Fewer places where someone can smoke inside, but I'm close to Cleveland. Just a little bit down the road there are plenty of bars where you can smoke, and just about every bar has a smoking tent, porch, or whatever.

I'd say both states are pretty pro-get your smoke on.