Barnes & Noble restricts NOOK e-reader sales for Alaska, Hawaii and beyond

Barnes and Noble has tightened shipping and purchasing rules for its NOOK e-readers. Customers outside the Lower 48 states now face restrictions when buying devices or digital content. Even some US territories and states are no longer supported for NOOK orders. The company’s website blocks checkout for NOOK e-readers if the delivery address is in Alaska, Hawaii, or US territories like Puerto Rico and Guam. Previously, these non-contiguous locations received shipments, but that option has now ended. A help file on the Barnes and Noble site lists all excluded states and territories.

Geolocation settings also prevent users outside the USA from buying e-books or audiobooks. A US credit card and a US billing address are mandatory for digital purchases. Even physical books still ship internationally—Canada and the UK remain on the list—but NOOK devices do not. For international customers, the situation is clearer but no less restrictive. The only official list provided by Barnes and Noble details the countries where they *do not* ship. No alternative options exist for purchasing NOOK e-readers abroad.

The changes mean fewer customers can buy NOOK e-readers or access digital content. Residents in Alaska, Hawaii, and US territories must now look elsewhere for e-readers. International buyers, even in countries where books ship, remain locked out of NOOK purchases entirely.