Anderson County, SC Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Civil penalty range
- $10.00 to $25.00 per infraction
- Covered outdoor venues
- Amphitheatres, ball parks, stadiums in use
- Also covered
- Shelters, picnic grounds, playgrounds in parks
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 2013-019, June 4, 2013
- Designated area exception
- County administrator may permit one
Summary
Anderson County bars smoking of tobacco or any other plant or weed material at outdoor county-owned venues: amphitheatres, ball parks and stadiums during athletic events, and shelters, picnic grounds and playgrounds within county parks. Violators face a civil fine of $10 to $25 per infraction.
(a)Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, no person shall smoke any tobacco, tobacco-related product or any other plant, weed or other smoking material in any of the following places within the county:(1)Inside any county-owned vehicle;(2)On the grounds of any real property owned or leased by the county upon which a government building covered under the South Carolina Clean Indoor Air Act of 1990 (S.C. Code 1976, § 44-95-10 et seq. (1976, as amended)) is located; or(3)Certain outdoor areas and venues owned, leased or operated by the county. This prohibition applies to:a.Amphitheatres.b.Ball parks, athletic fields and stadiums when in use for athletic contests, practices or public performances.c.Shelters, picnic grounds and playgrounds located within parks and other areas of recreation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 32-19 of the county code, adopted by Ordinance No. 2013-019 in 2013, prohibits smoking tobacco, tobacco-related products, or any other plant, weed or smoking material inside any county-owned vehicle, on the grounds of any county building covered by the South Carolina Clean Indoor Air Act of 1990, and in certain outdoor areas and venues the county owns, leases or operates. The outdoor list is specific: amphitheatres; ball parks, athletic fields and stadiums while in use for athletic contests, practices or public performances; and shelters, picnic grounds and playgrounds located within parks and other recreation areas.
The county administrator may carve out a designated outdoor smoking area next to a Clean Indoor Air Act building, but only if smoke cannot drift back inside through doors, windows or ventilation and the area does not expose people entering or leaving to secondhand smoke. The ban does not extend to every outdoor county property, just the enumerated recreational and event venues and the areas around covered government buildings; a person merely walking across an open county-owned field with no listed use is not covered by this section. This is separate from the county's general park rules in chapter 34, which govern conduct like alcohol, fires and vehicles inside parks.
Violations & Fines
Smoking or possessing a lighted smoking product or device at a prohibited outdoor venue or in a covered building area is a civil infraction under section 32-19(c), punishable by a civil penalty of not less than $10.00 nor more than $25.00 for each infraction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke at an Anderson County park playground?
What is the fine for smoking in a banned outdoor area?
Does the ban cover every county ball field at all times?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anderson County
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