---
kind: "section"
citation: "21 U.S.C. § 387p"
title: "21"
title_heading: "Food and Drugs"
number: "387p"
heading: "Preservation of State and local authority"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/21/387p"
units:
  - "Chapter 9 — Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act"
  - "Subchapter IX — Tobacco Products"
---

# §387p. Preservation of State and local authority

- (a) **In general—**
  - (1) **Preservation—** Except as provided in [paragraph (2)(A)](#a-2-A), nothing in this subchapter, or rules promulgated under this subchapter, shall be construed to limit the authority of a Federal agency (including the Armed Forces), a [State](/usc/21/387.md?p=19) or political subdivision of a [State](/usc/21/387.md?p=19), or the government of an [Indian tribe](/usc/21/387.md?p=10) to enact, adopt, promulgate, and enforce any law, rule, regulation, or other measure with respect to [tobacco products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1) that is in addition to, or more stringent than, requirements established under this subchapter, including a law, rule, regulation, or other measure relating to or prohibiting the sale, [distribution](/usc/21/360eee.md?p=5), possession, exposure to, access to, advertising and promotion of, or use of [tobacco products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1) by individuals of any age, information reporting to the [State](/usc/21/387.md?p=19), or measures relating to fire safety standards for [tobacco products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1). No provision of this subchapter shall limit or otherwise affect any [State](/usc/21/387.md?p=19), tribal, or local taxation of [tobacco products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1).
  - (2) **Preemption of certain State and local requirements—**
    - (A) **In general—** No [State](/usc/21/387.md?p=19) or political subdivision of a [State](/usc/21/387.md?p=19) may establish or continue in effect with respect to a [tobacco product](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1) any requirement which is different from, or in addition to, any requirement under the provisions of this subchapter relating to [tobacco product](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1) standards, premarket review, adulteration, misbranding, [labeling](/usc/21/321.md?p=m), registration, good manufacturing standards, or modified risk [tobacco products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1).
    - (B) **Exception—** [Subparagraph (A)](#a-2-A) does not apply to requirements relating to the sale, [distribution](/usc/21/360eee.md?p=5), possession, information reporting to the [State](/usc/21/387.md?p=19), exposure to, access to, the advertising and promotion of, or use of, [tobacco products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1) by individuals of any age, or relating to fire safety standards for [tobacco products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1). Information disclosed to a [State](/usc/21/387.md?p=19) under [subparagraph (A)](#a-2-A) that is exempt from disclosure under [section 552(b)(4) of title 5](/usc/5/552.md?p=b-4) shall be treated as a trade secret and confidential information by the [State](/usc/21/387.md?p=19).
- (b) **Rule of construction regarding product liability—** No provision of this subchapter relating to a [tobacco product](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1) shall be construed to modify or otherwise affect any action or the liability of any [person](/usc/21/321.md?p=e) under the [product](/usc/21/360eee.md?p=13) liability law of any [State](/usc/21/387.md?p=19).

## Source credit

(June 25, 1938, ch. 675, § 916, as added Pub. L. 111–31, div. A, title I, § 101(b)(3), June 22, 2009, 123 Stat. 1823.)