A smoke-free entrance protects everyone who walks through the door: customers with asthma, staff on their way in, children, and anyone who simply does not want to breathe second-hand smoke or vapour. Many workplaces, schools, clinics, shops, and apartment buildings are required to post No Smoking signs; many more choose to. This No Smoking Sign Template is designed for the job: a large, universally understood no-smoking symbol, a bold red message that includes vaping, and a strip for the distance rule that applies at your site.
Symbol First, Words Second
The sign is 12 x 18 inches in portrait, the standard size for outdoor regulatory signs, with a mounting hole marked at the top centre. The top half is white and holds a large no-smoking symbol drawn from simple shapes: a long black cigarette with a grey ash tip and a separate filter section, three grey wisps of smoke curling up from the lit end, and over them a thick red ring with a diagonal slash. Because it is drawn with editable shapes rather than a flat picture, it prints perfectly sharp at any size.
The lower half is a solid red panel with NO and SMOKING in huge white Anton capitals and OR VAPING in pale pink spaced letters below. A black strip at the bottom states the rule: Within 25 feet of all entrances, with our logo in grey underneath.
Check the Distance Rule Where You Are
Many US states, cities, universities, and employers set a minimum distance from entrances, windows, and air intakes where smoking is not allowed. Common distances include 15, 20, or 25 feet, but rules vary widely, and some places ban smoking across an entire campus or property. Some laws also specify the wording, symbol, or size of required signs. Before printing, confirm the rule that applies to your building and update the black strip to match it exactly. If your site bans tobacco everywhere, change the strip to Smoke-free and vape-free campus.
Popular Wording Variations
| Location | Main text | Bottom strip |
|---|---|---|
| Shop or office entrance | NO SMOKING OR VAPING | Within 25 feet of all entrances |
| Hospital or clinic | SMOKE-FREE CAMPUS | Thank you for protecting our patients |
| Apartment building | NO SMOKING | In hallways, stairwells, and balconies |
| Fuel or chemical storage | NO SMOKING · NO OPEN FLAMES | Flammable materials stored here |
| Playground or park | SMOKE-FREE PLAY AREA | Please smoke only in designated areas |
Adjusting the Wording and Symbol
- Click NO, SMOKING, or OR VAPING to change the wording. The three lines are separate text boxes, so you can change one without affecting the others.
- Edit the black strip for your distance rule or location.
- The cigarette and smoke are grouped; the red ring and slash are a separate group on top. To show a different prohibited item, delete the cigarette group and place another icon under the ring.
- Keep the red and white. These are the internationally expected colours for prohibition signs, and changing them makes the sign less effective.
Where to Post No Smoking Signs
Post signs at every public entrance, at loading docks and staff doors, near air intakes and open windows, and anywhere people tend to gather for a smoke. Mount them at eye level, facing people as they approach. If you provide a designated smoking area further away, a second sign pointing to it (Smoking area this way) keeps people from lingering at the door. Staff should know the rule and how to mention it politely, since a sign works best when it is gently backed up.
Printing for Indoors and Outdoors
For outdoor walls and posts, download the PDF and order a 12 x 18 inch aluminium sign with a UV laminate, which keeps the red from fading. Indoor doors and windows can use a poster print or a US Letter version printed at fit-to-page size; the proportions of the design shrink cleanly. Laminated prints can be fixed to glass with clear tape or mounting strips. For multi-site businesses, order a batch so every location looks consistent.
Why Include Vaping?
Many smoke-free rules written years ago did not mention e-cigarettes, which left staff unsure whether vaping by the door was allowed. Many newer laws and workplace policies treat vaping the same as smoking, and customers increasingly expect entrances to be free of vapour as well as smoke. Naming vaping on the sign removes the grey area and saves awkward conversations. If your local rule does not cover vaping but you want to ban it on your property anyway, the sign lets you make your own policy clear.
Talking to Smokers Politely
Even with good signs, staff and residents sometimes need to remind someone of the rule. A calm, friendly approach works best: Sorry, this is a smoke-free entrance. The smoking area is round the corner by the car park. Pointing to the sign takes the personal edge out of the conversation, because it is the building’s rule, not the staff member’s opinion. Give people somewhere to go, with a bin for cigarette ends, and most will happily move. Keep a record if the same person repeatedly ignores the rule, and follow your organisation’s policy from there.
No Smoking Sign FAQ
Can I make a landscape version?
Yes. Change the page to 18 x 12 inches and place the symbol on the left and the red panel on the right.
Is the symbol an image?
No. It is built from editable shapes, so it stays crisp at any size and can be recoloured if needed.
Can I add another language?
Add a line such as PROHIBIDO FUMAR under OR VAPING, reducing the font sizes slightly so everything fits.
How many signs does a building need?
At least one at every public entrance and one at each staff or delivery door. Large sites often add signs along covered walkways, bus shelters and car-park stairwells, since those are where people most often light up while waiting.
Fresh Air at Every Door
Check your distance rule, update the strip, and put a sign at every entrance. A clear, standard-looking sign does most of the enforcing for you, quietly and consistently.
