Safe Cigarettes

FireSafe Cigarette Standards

During the 2008 Legislative session, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, together with the Kansas Attorney General’s Tobacco Enforcement Unit, lobbied the Kansas Legislature to enact FireSafe Cigarette standards which has become known as the Fire Safety Standards and Fire Fighter Protection Act found in K.S.A. 31-601 through 31-613. This was passed by the legislature and then signed by the Governor and has been in effect since May 9, 2008.

Essentially, these laws require that all cigarettes (as defined by K.S.A.79-3301) sold in the State of Kansas comply with certain quality control measures to reduce their chances of continued ignition if they are not being actively smoked. All manufacturers must certify their products with the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) on or before July 1. The OSFM works closely with the Kansas Department of Revenue to ensure that these laws are complied with for the safety of all citizens.

For more general information on FireSafe Cigarettes, please view the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes website.

Certification Process for Manufacturers

To begin the process, complete and submit a Fire Standards Compliance Certification Form (PDF). In addition, a Tobacco Product Manufacturer Appointment of Agent for Service of Process Form (PDF) must be submitted if the manufacturer is not a Kansas resident. This form must be mailed separately with payment to the Kansas Secretary of State. The information is included on the form.

Please make sure to follow all the instructions carefully and mail the appropriate forms (and related copies) to the appropriate agency. All that information will be on the certification form.

If you are new to the terms used, please take some time to review the Kansas Attorney General and Kansas Department of Revenue websites, as well as the statutes given.