Davis, CA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer distance
- 20 feet from protected outdoor areas
- Enforcing agencies
- City manager, police, fire department
- First offense fine
- Up to $50
- Third+ offense fine
- Up to $500 per conviction
- Citizen enforcement
- Private right of action allowed
Summary
Davis bans smoking, including e-cigarette vapor, within twenty feet of restaurant and bar patios, public event areas, building entrances, and any city park or greenbelt. Violators face escalating fines set by Davis Municipal Code Article 34.03.
(x) Smoking shall be prohibited in the following outdoor areas, and smoking, except while passing on the way to another destination, shall be prohibited within twenty feet of or close enough to the following areas for smoke to travel into an area or building, where smoking is prohibited, whichever is greater: ... (2) Seating provided by eating establishments and bars, ... (13) Public parks and greenbelts, ... § 34.03.090. Penalties. Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a citation and: (a) Upon the first violation shall be guilty of an infraction and, upon conviction, shall be subject to a fine not to exceed fifty dollars;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4915048; v22 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
02 of the Davis Municipal Code lists specific outdoor places where smoking is prohibited outright, not just regulated: seating at eating establishments and bars, entrances and exits to enclosed public areas, stairways, courtyards, children's play areas, public gardens, and public parks and greenbelts. Beyond the listed places themselves, the code adds a 20-foot buffer, or a wider buffer if smoke can still travel into the protected area, that applies even to someone just passing through, unless they are literally walking on their way to somewhere else.
The city also names specific downtown parking lots and the length of G Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets as protected zones, and separately bans smoking in parking garages. 01 expressly reaches e-cigarettes and vaping devices, not just combustible cigarettes. 060. 050.
Violations & Fines
Under § 34.03.090, a first violation is an infraction carrying a fine up to $50; a second violation within a year is an infraction up to $200; a third or later violation within that same year jumps to an infraction fine up to $500 per conviction. Fines are cumulative with any other city, county, state or federal penalty for the same conduct under § 34.02.025(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke on a restaurant patio in Davis?
Does the outdoor ban cover vaping and e-cigarettes?
Is it legal to smoke while walking through a banned zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Davis
California rules heatmap·Compare Davis to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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Outdoor Smoking Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Yolo County handle outdoor smoking restrictions.