Bloomington, IN Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Outdoor areas covered
- Restaurant/bar seating, courtyards
- Also banned
- Service lines, ticket lines, ATMs
- Fine per violation
- $100
- Enforcing office
- Mayor's office designee
- Processed through
- Ordinance Violations Bureau (Ch. 2.27)
- Exempt
- Private residences, retail tobacco stores
Summary
Bloomington Municipal Code § 6.12.030 bans smoking on restaurant and bar patios, in courtyards, at service and ticket lines, near ATMs, and anywhere food or drink is sold, on top of the citywide indoor ban. The mayor's office enforces a $100 fine through the Ordinance Violations Bureau.
(a)Smoking shall be prohibited in the following public places and other public places similarly situated, including, but not limited to, the following areas: ... (16)The following outdoor areas:(A)Seating provided by eating establishments and bars,(B)Within courtyards and other areas where air circulation may be impeded by architectural, landscaping or other barriers,(C)Any place where people are using or waiting for a service, entry, or a transaction, including but not limited to ATM's, bank teller windows, telephones, ticket lines, bus stops and cab stands,(D)Any place where food and/or drink is offered for sale;
Full Breakdown
030(a)(16) extends Bloomington's smoking ban into four categories of outdoor space: seating that eating establishments and bars provide, courtyards and other areas where architectural or landscaping barriers impede air circulation, any place where people are using or waiting for a service, entry or transaction (the code names ATMs, bank teller windows, telephones, ticket lines, bus stops and cab stands), and any place where food or drink is offered for sale. That sits alongside the chapter's long list of enclosed public places, from restaurants and bars to sports arenas, hospitals and polling places.
050 backs the outdoor rule with a reasonable-distance requirement: smoking must occur far enough from any no-smoking area that the smoke does not drift in through doors, windows or ventilation, and it is itself a violation for smoke to be detected in a prohibited area. 030(b). 070, every area where smoking is banned must post a conspicuous 'No Smoking' sign, one that also covers electronic smoking devices, and remove ashtrays.
Violations & Fines
The mayor's office or its designee enforces the chapter under § 6.12.080, issuing a written notice of violation naming the location, the nature of the violation and the fine, served in person or by first-class mail. Section 6.12.090(d) sets the fine at one hundred dollars for each violation, processed through the Ordinance Violations Bureau established by Chapter 2.27; if repeat violations at the same business show fines are not working, the city legal department can pursue any other remedy the law allows. A person or business can contest the fine in Monroe County Circuit Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke on a restaurant patio in Bloomington?
Is smoking banned in outdoor courtyards downtown?
What's the fine for smoking in a banned outdoor area in Bloomington?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bloomington
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