Click the box above to view Montana’s Cigarette Manufacturer Directory.
Fire-safe cigarettes, also known as reduced ignition propensity cigarettes, are designed to stop burning when left unattended. Under a Montana law passed by the 2007 Legislature, all cigarettes sold or offered for sale in Montana must meet the same criteria for fire-safe cigarettes as in New York State. The law went into effect May 1, 2008.
The law is designed to save lives by reducing the risk that cigarettes will ignite upholstered furniture, mattresses, household furnishings and other combustible material. According to nationwide statistics from the National Fire Protection Association, roughly one in four fire-related deaths is caused by smoking materials.
Fire-safe cigarettes cost the same and have the same characteristics as other cigarettes. The law contains provisions for stores to sell their existing inventory of cigarettes.
For additional information, see the Cigarette Standards Report to the 2011 Legislature (PDF) or contact the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Before cigarettes can be sold or offered for sale in Montana, cigarette manufacturers must submit:
Each cigarette style certified for sale in Montana must be re-certified every three years.
Once a cigarette is certified, the manufacturer is required to provide:
To sell or offer to sell cigarettes in Montana, the cigarettes must be listed on the Directory of Fire-Safe Cigarette Approved for Sale in Montana and also comply with the provisions related to the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement for listing on the Tobacco Directory.
Package Markings
All packaging for fire-safe cigarettes approved for sale in Montana must be marked in accordance with MCA 50-65-104. A manufacturer may use only one marking and that marking must be uniformly applied on all packages, including but not limited to, packs, cartons and cases of cigarettes marketed by that manufacturer. The marking must be in a font of at least eight-point type and consist of:
Submission Information
Send proposed markings and a letter requesting approval to:
Montana Department of Revenue
Jim McKeon, Miscellaneous Tax Program Manager
P.O. Box 5805
Helena, MT 59604-5805
Testing Certification Process
To obtain approval to sell fire-safe cigarettes in Montana, submit the following information to the State Fire Marshal:
Submission Information
The State Fire Marshal must receive the information on the package marking approved by the Department of Revenue and test certification under ASTM E2187-04.
Test certification for any cigarette that cannot be tested under ASTM E2187-04 must be proposed in accordance with Section 50-65-102(4)(a) of the Montana Code Annotated.
Send all information to:
Montana Department of Justice
State Fire Marshal, Dirk Johnson
P.O. Box 201417
Helena, MT 59602-1401