Burlington, NC Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Section 22-33 prohibits smoking and the use of tobacco products, "including e-cigarettes," in all Burlington Parks System facilities and grounds, and names an extensive, non-exclusive list: playgrounds, youth athletic fields and their spectator areas, swimming pools including dressing and restroom facilities, tennis courts and spectator areas, the City Park amusement ride area, the Fairchild Park BMX track and spectator areas, concert areas in City Park, North Park, Willowbrook Park and the Depot area, greenways and trails, the golf course, the municipal lakes, parking lots, sidewalks bordering park grounds, and ballfields.

Because the ban is grounds-wide rather than limited to buildings, it reaches outdoor spectator seating and open trails, not just enclosed structures. Section 22-36 requires "No Smoking" signage, including a "No E-cigarette" symbol, posted throughout the identified park facilities and grounds with lettering at least one inch tall or the international no-smoking symbol. The police department, under the direction of the city manager, administers this article per § 22-37. A violation carries a $50 civil penalty under § 22-38, payable to the city tax collector within ten days of the citation, with an owner, agent or person controlling the premises who knowingly permits a violation without asking the smoker to stop also liable for that same penalty, and unpaid penalties collectible through a civil debt action plus a $25 late payment charge.