Bergenfield, NJ Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Article II of Chapter 282, adopted by Ord. No. 21-2584 in 2021, bans smoking inside all municipal buildings and extends the ban outdoors. Under § 282-6B, smoking is prohibited within a twenty-foot radius of the front entrance of all municipal buildings, and the Borough must post no-smoking signs both on the building and at that twenty-foot perimeter. Section 282-6C prohibits smoking in all public parks and recreation facilities owned or leased by the Borough, plus any Borough property where the public gathers for recreational activities, covering playgrounds and ball fields as well as parks.

The ordinance's definition of smoking in § 282-5 reaches beyond traditional cigarettes to include the inhaling or exhaling of smoke or vapor from an electronic smoking device, so e-cigarettes and vape pens are covered outdoors in parks and near municipal buildings the same as combustible tobacco. Smoking is also banned in any vehicle registered to the Borough. Enforcement runs through the Police, Fire, Recreation, Public Works and Health Departments, giving several Borough departments authority to write a citation. Fines start at $100 for a first offense, rise to $250 for a second, and $500 for each subsequent offense under § 282-8, and a Borough employee caught smoking can also face internal discipline on top of the fine.