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.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.