Yes, you can smoke at Norfolk International Airport (ORF) outdoors, on the curb outside the terminal buildings. The Departures Terminal curb by the ticketing doors and the Arrivals Terminal curb at baggage claim are both easy to reach, and both are a short walk from the middle of the airport. Everything indoors is smoke-free: the ticketing lobby, the Main Lobby, Concourses A and B, and the Arrivals Terminal across the pedestrian bridge.
Designated Smoking Areas
Smoking at ORF is an outdoor, landside activity. The Norfolk Airport Authority keeps both terminal buildings smoke-free and puts e-cigarettes under the same rule — the airport’s Know Before You Go page states that possession of e-cigarettes inside the terminals is not prohibited and that their use must be conducted outside.
Two stretches of curb do the work:
- Departures Terminal curb — the sidewalk outside the Level 1 ticketing lobby, along the drop-off lane served by Door A through Door F. This is the spot to use before you check in and screen.
- Arrivals Terminal curb — the sidewalk outside baggage claim and ground transportation, served by Door 1 through Door 5. Use this one after you land, and this is where you come out if you leave the secure area.
ORF does not print a smoking symbol in the services legend of its terminal map, so there is no marked enclosure to look for. Stand away from the doorways and the covered walkways, and keep off the grassy pet relief areas, which sit right beside several of the doors. The Arrivals Terminal curb is for passenger loading only, so a driver cannot wait there for you — the free Park & Wait Lot is the place for that.
After Security
Concourses A and B are smoke-free from the checkpoint onward. There is no smoking room, no ventilated lounge and no airside terrace at ORF, and the USO Welcome Center in the Arrivals Terminal is landside and smoke-free as well.
ORF currently screens passengers at two separate checkpoints, one for each concourse, and the TransformORF program will merge them into a single screening area that allows post-security movement between Concourses A and B. Until that opens, a smoker who steps out has to return through the checkpoint serving their own concourse. The airport recommends arriving 90 minutes before a domestic departure and two hours before an international one, so budget 30 to 40 minutes for a curbside break plus re-screening — the arithmetic is the same one covered in our guide to smoking during layovers.
Terminal Layout and Airlines
ORF is laid out as two buildings joined by an enclosed pedestrian bridge. The Main Passenger Terminal handles departures: Level 1 is the airline ticketing lobby with Doors A to F, and Level 2 holds the Main Lobby — the skylit hub with the information center, restaurants, shops and the KidsPort play area — plus the TSA checkpoints and both concourses. The separate Arrivals Terminal holds baggage claim carousels 1 to 5, rental cars, taxis and ride share on Level 1, with Doors 1 to 5 on its curb.
The concourses split as follows:
- Concourse A — gates A1 to A9, used by American and Southwest, plus gates A10, A11 and A12 in the three-gate extension that opened in April 2026. The extension runs nearly 19,000 square feet over two storeys and added the High Tide Bar Bites and Town Center Cold Pressed outlets; American took the new gates, and the airport scheduled Breeze Airways to move into Concourse A during the same spring.
- Concourse B — gates B16 to B30, used by Delta, Frontier, JetBlue and United, and home to Bruce Smith’s 200 Sack Club bar and grill between gates B25 and B27.
Seven airlines serve ORF: American, Breeze, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and United. The airport handled 4,892,594 passengers in 2025, a fourth consecutive annual record, and opened an upgraded Federal Inspection Services facility in March 2026 so U.S. Customs and Border Protection can process international arrivals on site. American and Delta carry the biggest shares, which routes many ORF passengers through Charlotte Douglas, Reagan National and Washington Dulles — all three of them outdoor-only for smokers too.
E-Cigarettes and Vaping
Vaping is treated exactly like smoking at ORF. Carrying an e-cigarette through the terminals is fine; using it belongs outside on the curb, alongside the cigarette smokers. TSA allows vape devices and spare lithium batteries in carry-on baggage only — they are not permitted in checked bags — so keep the device with you when you hand a suitcase over at the counter.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Departures Terminal interior | No | Ticketing lobby and Main Lobby smoke-free |
| Concourse A | No | No smoking room past the checkpoint |
| Concourse B | No | No smoking room past the checkpoint |
| Arrivals Terminal interior | No | Baggage claim and rental car hall smoke-free |
| Departures curb (Doors A–F) | Yes | Outdoors, clear of the entrances |
| Arrivals curb (Doors 1–5) | Yes | Outdoors, by baggage claim and ground transportation |
| Vaping / e-cigarettes | Outdoor only | Possession indoors allowed, use outdoors |
For USA airport smoking rules, state vape rules, lighter rules at TSA, and other federal/state info, see our USA smoking guide.