Outdoor Smoking Restrictions: Austin vs Pflugerville
How do outdoor smoking restrictions rules compare between Austin, TX and Pflugerville, TX?
Austin and Pflugerville have similar restriction levels.
Austin, TX
Travis County
Austin Code Chapter 10-6 has banned smoking in indoor workplaces, restaurants, bars, and public buildings since the 2005 voter-approved Smoke-Free Workplace Ordinance, plus designated outdoor zones near entrances, parks, playgrounds, and city-funded venues; vaping is included.
View full Austin rules →Pflugerville, TX
Travis County
Travis County enforces Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 161 indoor smoking restrictions and Austin city ordinances banning smoking in workplaces, restaurants, bars, and outdoor patios within city limits, including e-cigarette use.
View full Pflugerville rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Austin | Pflugerville |
|---|---|---|
| Adopted | 2005 voter approved | - |
| Local ordinance | Austin Code Ch. 10-6 | - |
| Buffer rule | 15 feet from entrances | - |
| Vaping included | Yes, since 2014 | - |
| Park ban | All parks and playgrounds | - |
| Austin entry buffer | - | Fifteen feet |
| E-cigarettes | - | Treated as smoking |
| Burn ban | - | Outdoor smoking restricted |
| UT-Austin | - | Tobacco-free campus |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Austin FAQ
Can I smoke on a restaurant patio in Austin?
Generally no. Austin Code Chapter 10-6 covers outdoor service areas of restaurants and bars. The 15-foot entrance buffer also applies. A few patios qualify as bingo or tobacco-retailer exemptions.
Does Austin's smoking ban include vaping?
Yes. The 2014 ordinance amendment added e-cigarettes and vapor products to the indoor and entrance-buffer ban under Code Chapter 10-6, treated identically to combustible tobacco products.
Pflugerville FAQ
Are bars exempt from smoking bans?
Inside Austin no, bars and music venues are smoke-free under city code; outside Austin bar owners can permit smoking unless venue policy or state workplace rules apply.
Do e-cigarettes count as smoking?
Yes inside Austin. The 2014 amendment treats e-cigarettes the same as tobacco for the indoor and patio smoking ban; many businesses extend this countywide.
Compare other topics
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