Yes, you can smoke at Dallas Love Field (DAL) at the designated outdoor smoking area on the upper-level departures curb, just outside the main terminal entrance. Dallas Love Field is a City of Dallas-owned, single-terminal airport with around 20 gates and is the primary hub for Southwest Airlines. The terminal is smoke-free indoors, so the curbside area is your only option.
Where to Smoke
The designated smoking area sits on the upper-level departures curb, outside the main terminal entrance and set well back from the doors, with ashtrays provided. Dallas city ordinance Sec. 41-2 keeps both cigarettes and electronic smoking devices at least 15 feet from any entrance, so stand at the marked spot rather than in the doorway. The terminal is smoke-free indoors, so if you are already airside you will need to exit and re-clear TSA, which typically takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
How Dallas Love Field Is Laid Out
DAL is a single-terminal airport built in a T-shape. The central area holds the security checkpoint, the main seating, cafes and a conference center; a ticketing wing runs off the east side and a baggage-claim wing off the west side. All 20 departure gates sit along the top of the T, with Southwest Airlines operating about 18 of them. Because there is just one concourse and one checkpoint, every gate is a short walk from security — and every one of them is smoke-free.
Smoking areas: All of them are outdoors, at the designated area on the upper-level departures curb. The gates, the central area and both wings are smoke-free.
After security: The designated area sits landside, so once you are past the single TSA checkpoint a cigarette means leaving the secure area and re-screening to come back. With Southwest’s frequent quick turns, factor the 10-to-15-minute re-clear into any tight connection.
E-Cigarettes and Vaping
Use the designated outdoor curb area for vaping, the same spot as cigarettes. Dallas amended its smoke-free ordinance to fold electronic smoking devices into the definition of smoking, so vapes are treated identically: indoors and within 15 feet of an entrance are both off limits.
Summary
| Area | Smoking Allowed | Location Details |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminal | No | Smoke-free throughout — central area, ticketing/baggage wings, all 20 gates |
| After security (airside) | No | No lounge; exit and re-clear TSA (about 10–15 min) |
| Outdoor (departures curb) | Yes | Upper-level departures curb, 15 ft clear of doors, ashtrays provided |
| Vaping/e-cigarettes | Outdoor only | Same rule as cigarettes; use the curb area |
For US airport smoking rules, state laws, vaping limits and fines, see our USA airport smoking guide.