Chino Hills, CA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Parks ban
- CHMC § 12.40.190, entire park campus
- Open space ban
- CHMC § 12.32.120, no exception
- Exception
- City Manager special-event areas only
- Covers
- Tobacco, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes
- First-offense fine
- Up to $100 (§ 1.36.020)
- Repeat-offense penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000/6 months
Summary
Chino Hills bans smoking tobacco, cigars, pipes and vapes throughout every city park and across its entire City-Owned Open Space system under Municipal Code §§ 12.40.190 and 12.32.120. The park ban reaches playgrounds, gazebos, parking lots and walkways, with the only exception being City Manager-designated areas during special events; the open-space ban carries no exception at all.
12.40.190 - Smoking prohibited. No person shall smoke (as that term is defined in Section 12.32.010 of this Code) tobacco, electronic smoking devices (as that term is defined in Section 12.32.010 of this Code), cigarettes, pipes, or cigars in any City park or recreation facility except that tobacco products may be smoked in outside areas designated by the City Manager for and during certain special events. This prohibition encompasses the entire campus of City park and park facilities including, but not limited to, outdoor and indoor areas, playgrounds, gazebos, parking lots, walkways, and easements. ... 12.32.120 - Smoking. No person shall smoke tobacco, electric smoking devices, cigarettes, pipes, or cigars in any City Owned-Open Space.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
Chino Hills bans smoking throughout its parks and its separate City-Owned Open Space system under two nearly identical Municipal Code sections. 010) anywhere on park property. ' The only carve-out is for tobacco products smoked in outside areas the City Manager designates for specific special events. 120 imposes a parallel, even stricter ban across the city's open-space trail and preserve system, with no exception at all for smoking tobacco, e-cigarettes, cigars or pipes. 42 Smoking Pollution Control ordinance, which separately prohibits smoking in enclosed public places such as restaurants, retail stores and lobbies citywide, so a smoker in Chino Hills has few legal indoor or outdoor public options.
020: a $100 fine for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for a third or later offense in the same year. A person who racks up a fourth violation in twelve months can be charged as a misdemeanor, exposing them to up to $1,000 in fines, six months in county jail, or both. Both sections were adopted by Ordinance No. 351 (parks) and Ordinance No. 350 (open space), effective February 25, 2020.
Violations & Fines
Smoking in a Chino Hills park or in the City-Owned Open Space is an infraction under CHMC § 12.40.280, punished per § 1.36.020: up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within one year, and $500 for a third or later offense in that year. A fourth violation within twelve months can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor, punishable by up to $1,000 in fines, six months in county jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke a cigarette on a bench at a Chino Hills park?
Do vapes count as smoking under this rule?
Is smoking allowed on Chino Hills' hiking trails and open space preserves?
What happens if I get cited for smoking in a park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino Hills
California rules heatmap·Compare Chino Hills to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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How other cities in San Bernardino County handle outdoor smoking restrictions.