Does Walmart Sell Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products? A Detailed Guide for Shoppers

Yes, you can absolutely purchase tobacco cigarettes, cigars, rolling papers, and other products at Walmart locations across the United States. With a few exceptions, your neighborhood Walmart supercenter likely carries a selection of smoking supplies alongside the groceries, home goods, automotive accessories, and everything else.

But before you head to Walmart to pick up your pack of Marlboros, chewing tobacco, or a box of Backwoods cigars, it helps to understand their specific policies on tobacco. Where are cigarettes located in the store? What styles of cigars do they sell? And what about trendy vaping supplies?

This detailed guide has all the insider tips for navigating the tobacco offerings at Walmart. We‘ll provide the full breakdown on cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, prices, savings, store policies, legal requirements, and more. Let‘s explore America‘s biggest retailer and their sometimes confusing relationship with smoking!

Does Walmart Sell Cigarettes and Tobacco?

The short answer: Yes, Walmart does sell tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and rolling papers in locations across the United States.

Out of over 4,700 Walmart stores nationwide, around 3,570 locations have a retail tobacco license allowing the sale of smoking products. The specific inventory varies, but most stores carry the major cigarette brands, mass market cigars, and smokeless tobacco. Walmart does NOT sell any vaping products or e-cigarettes as of 2022.

So for millions of Walmart shoppers, it is convenient to purchase tobacco along with the usual groceries and household supplies in a single trip. Walmart captures around 5% of total cigarette sales in the United States, ranking #3 behind convenience stores (70%) and supermarkets (10%).

While Walmart has a controversial history with tobacco, smoking remains a big draw to their stores and an important revenue stream. Tobacco likely accounts for billions in sales each year for the retail giant.

Now let‘s explore exactly what types of tobacco products you can (and can‘t) find on the shelves at Walmart.

Cigarette Brands Sold at Walmart

Walmart‘s cigarette selection focuses on the most popular national brands preferred by millions of smokers in the U.S.:

• Marlboro – The #1 cigarette brand in the U.S., commanding over 40% of the market. Look for soft pack, box, menthol, and specialty options.

• Newport – The second most popular brand, known for menthol flavoring. Owned by the same company as Camel.

• Camel – Third most widely-sold brand. Look for Camel Crush with the menthol capsule in the filter.

• Pall Mall – Owned by RJ Reynolds, known as an affordable brand. Sold in red, blue, orange, and green packs.

• Winston – Another RJ Reynolds budget brand appealing to price-conscious smokers.

• Parliaments – Recognizable by their recessed paper filters, sold in box format.

• Kool – Menthol brand originally aimed at African American smokers. Known for coupons and promotions.

• Lucky Strike – One of the oldest cigarette brands, owned by British American Tobacco. Unfiltered originals have iconic red circle logo.

• Benson & Hedges – Premium brand sold in box format, known for slogans like "for people who think they have better things to do than smoke."

You generally won‘t find obscure niche cigarette brands, American Spirit organic cigarettes, or Clove cigarettes at your Walmart tobacco counter. But the selection covers most smoker‘s needs including leading brands, budgets picks, menthols, and a few premium options.

Cigar Selection at Walmart

While Walmart doesn‘t have an impressive walk-in humidor like your local cigar lounge, they do offer an assortment of mass market machine-made cigar brands. Top options include:

• Swisher Sweets – By far the most popular cigar sold at Walmart. Known for sweet tipped flavors like grape and peach.

• White Owl – Another top-selling machine-made cigarillo brand. Look for fruit flavors and caps on the tip.

• Dutch Masters – Mild Dominican cigarillos, available in flavors like honey sports and wine.

• Backwoods – Popular for recreational use due to their size and tobacco blend. Require extra preparation before smoking.

• Phillies – Machine-made cigars know for their affordability and regular and blunt sizes.

• Black & Mild – Sold by John Middleton Co., known for their wood or plastic tips.

So if you need an inexpensive flavored cigarillo or a pack of Backwoods for rolling, Walmart has you covered. But you‘ll have better luck at the local smoke shop for premium hand-rolled cigars.

Other Tobacco Products at Walmart

Beyond cigarettes and cigars, Walmart also provides options for the smokeless tobacco user:

• Chewing tobacco – Top brands like Red Man, Levi Garrett, and Beechnut. Sold in bags of individually wrapped pouches.

• Snus – Swedish style snus pouches from Camel and Marlboro in mint, wintergreen, and other flavors.

• Loose tobacco – Bags of pipe tobacco, rolling tobacco, and pouch tobacco for roll-your-own use. Look for popular brands like Bugler, Gambler, and Top.

• Rolling papers – Options from Zig-Zag, JOB, RAW, Juicy Jays, and more. Find multi-packs of papers in a range of materials, sizes, and flavors.

So smokers who prefer to dip, chew, roll their own, or pack a pipe can stock up on all the essentials at their local Walmart.

Vaping Products NOT Sold at Walmart

One area of tobacco that Walmart has avoided entirely since 2019 is vaping products and e-cigarettes. You won‘t find any of the following at Walmart:

• E-cigarette starter kits
• Pre-filled e-cig cartridges or disposable e-cigs
• Vape mods or advanced personal vaporizers
• E-liquids, vape juices, or nicotine salts
• Refill pods for systems like Juul
• Any type of vaporizer, atomizer, coil, tank, or accessory

After a short period of carrying Juul pods in around 2,000 stores, Walmart pulled all e-cigarette merchandise in September 2019 amidst growing concerns around youth vaping and vaping-related deaths and illnesses.

With uncertainty around regulations and negative media attention on vaping, Walmart opted to drop e-cigarettes as a category altogether rather than deal with ongoing controversy. So vapers won‘t find any supplies at Walmart.

Where to Find Cigarettes in Walmart Stores

Wandering those massive Walmart supercenters, you may find yourself lost in a maze of home goods, electronics, automotive, apparel, and seasonal items. So where exactly can you track down the Marlboro Reds and chewing tobacco?

In most locations, the main Walmart cigarette counter is located front-and-center in the checkout area. Look for signs denoting "Tobacco" or "Cigarettes" behind registers around the middle of the cashier stations.

This prime location gives easy access for adults to purchase tobacco along with the rest of their shopping. Some stores may have cigarettes and cigars in a locked case that must be retrieved by employees.

Smokeless tobacco products and rolling papers are typically displayed on shelves directly behind the cigarette register area. You generally won‘t find tobacco distributed in other areas of the store. All smoking products are conveniently situated up front with the checkout lines.

Walmart Cigarette & Tobacco Prices and Discounts

Another big draw of buying your cigarettes and chew at Walmart is the savings compared to convenience stores, smoke shops, and gas stations. As with most products, Walmart leverages their enormous buying power to offer lower prices on popular tobacco brands.

Some example prices for a pack of cigarettes:

Brand	Walmart Price	Convenience Store Price
Marlboro Reds	$5.94	$7.99
Newport Menthols	$6.42	$8.19
Camel Blue	$6.37	$7.89
Pall Mall	$5.58	$6.99

*Prices as of December 2022 for Atlanta, GA area. Tax not included.

Based on these rates, buying name brand cigarettes at Walmart can potentially save you 15-20% compared to convenience store prices. Savings may be even greater on budget brands like Pall Mall.

Cigars and smokeless tobacco also tend to be priced lower than standalone smoke shops. And you‘ll often find roll-back specials and volume discounts not offered at other retailers. Capitalizing on Walmart‘s buying power and logistics network pays off for tobacco users.

Beyond everyday low prices, Walmart provides additional ways to save on cigarettes and tobacco:

• Weekly ad specials – Featured discounts on select brands rotate each week.

• Cashback apps – Get additional cashback on Walmart tobacco purchases through Ibotta, Rakuten, etc.

• Coupons – Print coupons online for brands like Marlboro and Camel.

• Buy 2 get 1 free – Special "Buy 2" volume promotions on brands like Kool, Salem, and Winston.

• Loyalty cards – Apply for Camel and Pall Mall reward cards with points and exclusive offers.

• Generic and value brands – Opt for Walmart‘s Main Street, USA Gold, or Wave lengths cigarettes to save even more.

So if you put in a little work hunting deals, your cost per pack at Walmart can be much lower than other retailers.

Laws and Policies for Buying Tobacco at Walmart

As a major tobacco retailer, Walmart must follow all federal, state, and local regulations regarding nicotine and smoking products. These laws govern pricing, licensing, taxes, reporting, controls on marketing and advertising, and more.

Some key tobacco policies at Walmart include:

• Must verify age of anyone appearing under 40 years old through photographic ID

• Customers must be minimum 18 years old to purchase tobacco (19+ or 21+ in some states)

• Acceptable identification includes driver‘s license, passport, military ID, etc. School IDs not accepted

• Adherence to excise taxes, reporting requirements, and audits

• Only selling during permitted store hours, not via self-checkout

• Compliance with all FDA regulations on tobacco labeling, warnings, etc.

• Correct calculation and remittance of tobacco taxes for each state and municipality

• Restrictions around marketing, signage, and promotions for tobacco in stores

Failing compliance with these tobacco regulations could put Walmart‘s license to sell cigarettes and other tobacco products at risk in specific municipalities or states. So they train employees diligently on following protocols during tobacco sales.

Common Questions About Buying Tobacco at Walmart

Can you use self-checkout to buy cigarettes at Walmart?

No. All tobacco product purchases at Walmart must go through a staffed register for age verification. Self-checkout lanes cannot be used.

What if I lost my ID? Can I still buy cigarettes at Walmart?

No. Valid photographic identification is required to purchase tobacco products at Walmart and all other retailers.

Can minors shop at Walmart for cigarettes if accompanied by an adult?

No. The underage person is not permitted to handle or purchase the tobacco themselves. Walmart employees can refuse the sale entirely in their judgement.

Does Walmart accept international driver‘s licenses to buy cigarettes?

Yes, a valid international DL with photo should be accepted for buying tobacco at Walmart. Some employees may want a secondary ID too.

Can you use a mobile photo of your ID to buy vapes at Walmart?

No, physical IDs are required. Digital copies would not be accepted for purchasing tobacco products.

Buying Cigarettes and Tobacco at Walmart Canada

Unlike the U.S., Walmart stores in Canada do not sell cigarettes, cigars, or any other tobacco products.

This is because in 1994, the Canadian province of Ontario passed legislation banning tobacco sales in stores that contain pharmacies. Many Walmart locations in Canada included pharmacies at that time.

Rather than deal with varying policies across provinces, Walmart Canada made the pre-emptive decision to remove tobacco products from all stores nationwide before the Ontario ban took effect.

Nearly 30 years later, Walmart Canada maintains this policy against tobacco sales, despite rivals like Costco selling cigarettes in some provinces. So shoppers will have to visit convenience stores, smoke shops, gas stations or First Nations reserves to purchase tobacco up north.

How Walmart Compares to Other Tobacco Retailers

Walmart‘s policies on tobacco align closely with other corporate chains like Walgreens and Kroger (parent company of Fred Meyer):

• Walgreens – Sells cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco where allowed. Dropped e-cigarettes in 2019 amid vaping controversy.

• Kroger – Cigarettes, chew, cigars available at Fred Meyer and other chains. Exited vape market.

• Dollar General – Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, cigars sold, but no vaping products.

• Costco – Sells tobacco in some international locations but not in the US or Canada.

• Rite Aid – Provides tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, and chew in most areas.

Conversely, health-focused chains like CVS and Whole Foods do not sell tobacco. But most national retail chains stick to tradition cigarettes and mass market cigars while avoiding e-cigs and vaping supplies in the modern era.

5 Insider Tips for Buying Cigarettes and Tobacco at Walmart

As a regular Walmart tobacco shopper, here are my pro tips:

1. Know the location – Look for the central tobacco checkout counter near the front registers. Ask an employee if you can‘t spot it.

2. Price check – Compare cost per pack against the convenience store to ensure you‘re actually saving money.

3. Browse the shelves – Check for updared roll-back specials and short-term promotions on smokeless tobacco.

4. BYO coupons – Bring paper coupons for cigarette brands like Marlboro and Camel for extra savings.

5. Avoid peak times – Shopping early morning or late nights means quicker access to the tobacco counter.

The Bottom Line on Buying Tobacco at Walmart

Walmart remains a major destination for purchasing cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and rolling papers across much of America. The convenient locations, everyday low prices, and wide assortment of popular brands keeps smokers coming back.

Just don‘t expect premium hand-rolled cigars or trendy vaping gear at your neighborhood Walmart. And be prepared to show valid photo ID proving you meet the minimum age requirements for purchasing tobacco in your state.

With affordable cigarettes from Marlboro, Camel, Newport and other leading brands, great deals on Swisher Sweets and Backwoods cigars, plus everyday low prices on smokeless tobacco, roll-your-own supplies, and accessories, Walmart has traditional smokers covered.

So for your next beer run or late-night grocery haul, feel free to add a pack of smokes to your shopping cart alongside the other essentials at America‘s retail megastore. Let us know if we missed your favorite tobacco find at Walmart!