Arvada, CO Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Section 38-304 is the operative ban inside Division 3, 'Smoking Restricted in Public Places': it is unlawful to smoke in any public place or sports arena as defined in the division, or in a cigar-tobacco bar as defined by state law. Section 38-303 defines 'public place' expansively as 'any indoor or outdoor facility or area that is open to members of the public,' and its list reaches well beyond bars and offices to parks, trails, golf courses, restaurants, taverns, theaters, financial institutions, libraries, government buildings, public transit platforms and waiting areas, and 'outdoor customer seating areas,' meaning a restaurant patio is covered the same as an indoor dining room.

Section 38-306 adds a buffer around doorways: smoking cannot occur within 25 feet of any public entrance, so that smoke does not drift back inside through doors, windows, or vents. The Arvada Police Department enforces the division under Section 38-307, which requires notice of the smoking rules to be given to every business-license applicant and lets any person register a complaint with the department; an owner, manager, or employee who catches a violation must first ask the smoker to comply. 00 for each additional violation, with every day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense.