Yes, you can smoke at Richmond International Airport (RIC) outdoors, on the curb outside the terminal building. The terminal is smoke-free inside, so the working spots are the sidewalk outside the second-level departures doors and the sidewalk outside the first-level baggage claim doors, standing clear of the entrances. RIC is a compact single-terminal airport whose two concourses feed one central building, so the walk back outdoors is short from almost any gate.
Designated Smoking Areas
Smoking at RIC happens outside the terminal building. The Capital Region Airport Commission, which operates the airport, sets the rule in its Rules and Regulations: “Smoking is prohibited within the Terminal Building except in designated smoking areas.” The airport’s current terminal map and its passenger pages list no smoking area inside the building, so the curb is where smokers go.
There are two curbs to choose from, and both are a short walk from the middle of the terminal:
- Second-level curb — outside the ticketing and check-in hall, along the departures drop-off lane. This is the closest outdoor spot if you have not checked a bag yet.
- First-level curb — outside baggage claim and ground transportation, next to the valet lane and the walkways over to the parking garages. This is the one to use on arrival, and the one you come out to if you exit the secure area.
RIC does not print a smoking symbol on its terminal map, so there is no marked pen to aim for. Stand well clear of the doorways, the covered walkway columns and the air intakes, and put the cigarette out in a receptacle rather than on the sidewalk.
After Security
Concourses A and B are smoke-free from the checkpoint onward — there is no smoking room, no ventilated lounge and no outdoor terrace past security. Each concourse has its own screening checkpoint, and the airport opens both at 4:00 a.m. daily, so a smoker who leaves the secure area has to come back through the checkpoint for their own concourse.
That makes the sensible plan simple: smoke at the curb before you check in, or at least before you screen. If you do go back out, RIC recommends arriving in the terminal 90 minutes before departure on ordinary days and two hours during peak periods, so give yourself 30 to 40 minutes for the round trip and re-screening. Passengers piecing together a longer itinerary may find our guide to smoking during layovers useful.
Terminal Layout and Airlines
RIC has one terminal building on two levels. The second level holds ticketing, the airline counters, the security checkpoints and the gates; the first level holds baggage claim, the baggage service offices, rental car counters, ground transportation and valet parking. The Visitor Information Center sits on the lower level, and the whole building came out of a $300 million renovation, so the ticketing and baggage halls are wide and easy to cross.
Two concourses branch off the second level:
- Concourse A — Allegiant, American, Breeze, JetBlue and Sun Country.
- Concourse B — Delta, Frontier, Southwest and United.
The airport sits about six miles east of downtown Richmond and handled 4,922,994 passengers in 2025, a third consecutive annual record for the Commission. American and Delta carry the largest shares of that traffic, which puts a lot of RIC itineraries through Charlotte Douglas and the two Washington airports, Reagan National and Washington Dulles — all three outdoor-only for smokers as well.
E-Cigarettes and Vaping
Vaping follows the cigarette rule at RIC. E-cigarettes and heated-tobacco devices belong on the same outdoor curbs, not in the terminal, the concourses or the restrooms. TSA allows vape devices and spare batteries in carry-on baggage only; they are not permitted in checked bags, so keep the device on you when you drop a suitcase at the counter.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal interior | No | Smoke-free throughout, including restaurants and bars |
| Concourse A | No | No smoking room past the checkpoint |
| Concourse B | No | No smoking room past the checkpoint |
| Second-level curb (departures) | Yes | Outside the ticketing doors, clear of the entrances |
| First-level curb (baggage claim) | Yes | Outside the arrivals doors, by ground transportation |
| Vaping / e-cigarettes | Outdoor only | Same rule as cigarettes |
For USA airport smoking rules, state vape rules, lighter rules at TSA, and other federal/state info, see our USA smoking guide.