There is now—officially—a fourth state where you must be at least 21 years old to purchase tobacco products, as the law changed today in New Jersey after legislation was passed this summer to raise the age from 19-years-old.
With the increase now in effect, retailers will be subject of fines between $250-1,000 should they sell to someone under the age. While individuals under 21-years-old are not legally allowed to purchase tobacco products, smoking and possession of tobacco products are still legal for those under 21.
The bill overwhelmingly passed the state’s Assembly and Senate, though at the time it was unclear whether Gov. Chris Christie would sign it, as last January he pocket vetoed a similar measure, refusing to sign the bill and preventing it from becoming law. That was not the case on the second go round though, as he signed the increase into law.
New Jersey joins California, Hawaii, and Oregon as states with a minimum purchasing age of 21. Maine has also approved an increase, but it will not go into effect until July 1, 2018.