shipping policies

Sales Taxes

We are required to collect and remit sales tax in the following states. Remittance of any taxes on orders shipped outside of these states is the responsibility of the purchaser.

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Nebraska
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • Nevada
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • Washington DC
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Excise Taxes

As you may know, certain states have recently begun to impose excise taxes on tobacco products sold by online retailers. Let’s Smoke collects excise taxes on your purchases as required by law. Please note that such excise taxes are in addition to applicable sales or use taxes, if any. 

Colorado

Effective January 1, 2024, the State of Colorado is imposing an excise tax on all tobacco products sold to Colorado customers. Colorado’s excise tax rate will be 50% of the “manufacturer’s list price” for all tobacco products. Further excise tax increases are scheduled through 2027, when the rate will reach 62%. For more details on the Colorado excise tax, please review here.

Indiana

Effective July 1, 2023, the State of Indiana is imposing an excise tax on all tobacco products sold to Indiana customers. Cigars and pipe tobacco will be taxed at 24% of the wholesale purchase price. For more details on the Indiana excise tax, please review here

Maine

Effective January 1, 2024, the State of Maine is imposing an excise tax on all tobacco products sold to Maine customers. Maine’s excise tax rate will be 43% of the “cost price” for all tobacco products. For more details on the Maine excise tax, please review here.

Maryland

Effective October 1, 2019, the State of Maryland will be imposing an Excise Tax on all tobacco products sold by online retailers to Maryland customers. See Maryland House Bill 1301. Please note that this excise tax is in addition to the Maryland sales/use tax already imposed on tobacco products sold to Maryland customers.

The Maryland Excise Tax rate will differ depending on the type of tobacco product sold: 

– Premium cigars will be taxed at 15% of the wholesale price.

– Pipe tobacco will be taxed at 30% of the wholesale price.

For more details on the Maryland Excise Tax, review the law here.

Michigan 

Effective January 1, 2022, the State of Michigan is imposing an excise tax on all cigars sold to Michigan customers. Cigars are taxed at 32% of the wholesale price, with a maximum excise tax of fifty cents ($.50) per cigar. 

For more details on the Michigan excise tax, please review here

North Carolina 

Effective July 1, 2022, the State of North Carolina is imposing an excise tax on all cigars and pipe tobacco sold to North Carolina customers. Cigars are taxed at 12.80% of the wholesale price, with a maximum excise tax of thirty cents ($.30) per cigar. Pipe Tobacco is taxed at 12.80% of the wholesale price. 

For more details on the North Carolina excise tax, please review here

Ohio

Effective October 16, 2019, the State of Ohio will be imposing an Excise Tax on all tobacco products delivered to Ohio customers. See Ohio Code 5743.62 Please note that this excise tax is in addition to the Ohio use tax already imposed on tobacco products delivered to Ohio customers. 

The Ohio Excise Tax rate will differ depending on the type of tobacco product purchased: 

– Most premium cigars (and all pipe tobacco) will be taxed at 17% of the wholesale price, with a maximum excise tax of sixty-one cents ($.61) per premium cigar. 

– Most little cigars with a filter or tip will be taxed at 37% of the wholesale price.

For more details on the Ohio Excise Tax, review the law here. 

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania imposes an excise tax on “small cigars” shipped to customers in Pennsylvania. Specifically, small cigars weighing 4lb per 1000 or less, not in carton packs, and not containing 20 to 25 sticks per pack are taxed at $0.13 per cigar. (Please note, we cannot ship to Pennsylvania customers any small cigars weighing 4lb per 1000 or less packed in cartons that contain 20 to 25 sticks per pack).

Loose or pipe tobacco is taxed at 55 cents ($0.55) per ounce, with a minimum excise tax of 66 cents ($0.66) per package. 

Rather than pass the entire tax on to our customers, we have decided to charge only 30 cents ($0.30) per ounce. As a courtesy to our customers, Cigars International will pay the remaining 25 cents ($0.25) per ounce excise tax imposed by Pennsylvania.

South Dakota

Effective January 1, 2022, the State of South Dakota is imposing an excise tax of 32% of the wholesale price on all cigars shipped to customers in South Dakota. SD continues to prohibit the shipping of all other tobacco products.

For more details on the South Dakota excise tax, please review here

Virginia

Effective July 1, 2022, the Commonwealth of Virginia is imposing an excise tax on all retail sales of cigars and pipe tobacco to Virginia customers. Cigars are taxed at 20% of the wholesale price, while pipe tobacco is taxed at 10% of the wholesale price.

For more details on the Virginia excise tax, please review here

🏛️ State-Specific Compliance & Tax Warnings

We closely monitor interstate commerce laws, including the PACT Act. Orders shipped to states with strict tobacco excise taxes and delivery restrictions (such as Hawaii, Utah, etc.) are subject to strict review.

Tax Collection: Where required by law or economic nexus thresholds, applicable state sales and tobacco excise taxes will be calculated and applied at checkout.

Automatic Cancellations: If an order is placed from a state or locality that entirely prohibits the remote delivery/shipment of Roll-Your-Own tobacco or specific flavored products, the order will be automatically cancelled and refunded in full, minus any processing fees allowed by law.

⏳ Order Processing & Payment Settlement

When Will My Order Ship?

To protect against fraud, all orders are processed after your credit card payment fully clears and settles into our system. This standard settlement period typically takes 24 to 48 hours from the time you place your order. Once the payment has fully cleared, your package will be prepared and handed off to the carrier.

Standard Shipping Method:

Our default shipping method is USPS Ground Advantage (or Vintaged / VinLogix where required for compliance).

Need Your Order Faster?

If you need your cigars or tobacco in a hurry, expedited shipping services are available at checkout for an additional fee. Please note: Expedited shipping speeds up the transit time with the carrier, but the standard 24–48 hour payment settlement clearing time still applies.

⚠️ IMPORTANT SHIPPING & TAX DISCLOSURE

Age Verification Required: You must be 21 or older to purchase this product. All orders are subject to strict age and ID verification before shipment.

State Tax & Shipping Restrictions: Due to varying state laws and PACT Act regulations regarding Roll Your Own (RYO) cigarette tobacco, we cannot ship this product to certain states. If your state laws restrict the online sale or shipment of this item, your order will be automatically cancelled and refunded.

Address Match Policy: To prevent fraud, your Billing Address and Shipping Address MUST match perfectly. No exceptions.

⚖️ Special Compliance Fee for Roll-Your-Own (RYO) Tobacco

Please Note: All orders containing Roll-Your-Own (RYO) tobacco products are subject to a mandatory $10.00 Service and Compliance Fee. This fee is required by law to cover the mandatory age verification, specialized adult-signature delivery services (21+ Restricted Delivery), and strict state tax reporting compliance associated with cigarette tobacco products. This non-refundable fee will be automatically applied at checkout.

Shipping Note for Roll-Your-Own Tobacco:

”To ensure your order arrives safely and in compliance with regulations, our $12.99 flat-rate shipping covers standard quantities of our premium tobacco products. Please note that for bulk orders exceeding these standard quantities, shipping costs may vary. In the event that your order’s weight or size requires additional postage, a member of our team will contact you directly to discuss the final shipping adjustment before your order is processed.”

🚫 No Shipping to PO Boxes or UPS Stores

Physical Addresses Only: Due to strict federal regulations, state tax laws, and the mandatory requirement for adult signature verification (21+) upon delivery, we do not ship to P.O. Boxes, UPS Store addresses, or any other commercial mail-forwarding drop locations. >

All orders must be shipped to a valid residential or business physical address. Any order placed with a P.O. Box or mail-drop shipping address will be automatically cancelled and refunded.