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Smoke-free Belfast

Belfast is a smoke-free city

It's against the law to smoke in most enclosed workplaces and public places, including:

• offices, factories, bars, restaurants, cafés, hotels and other places of work
• schools
• hospitals
• public places like shopping centres, church and community halls and health centres
• most vehicles used for work purposes and public vehicles such as cars, lorries, vans, buses, taxis, trains and minibuses.

Under the Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, our environmental health officers can visit premises throughout Belfast to:

• check they are complying with the law
• offer help and advice
• take legal action against offenders (where necessary).

• Read more about the Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006

Penalties and fines

If you're caught smoking in a smoke-free place, you may receive a £50 fixed penalty fine or a maximum fine, upon conviction, of £1,000.

If you are a business owner and you don't display a no smoking sign on your premises, you could receive a fixed penalty fine of £200. You could also be prosecuted and may face a maximum fine of £1,000.

If you fail to prevent people from smoking in designated smoke-free places and vehicles, it may lead to a maximum fine, upon conviction, of £2,500.

You can also report breaches of smoke-free law to us by calling 0845 603 2500.

Calls will be charged at a local rate and all reports are investigated by our officers.