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Skagit County, WA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Enforcing agency
Skagit County Health Officer
Banned locations
Playgrounds, parks, beaches, athletic fields, stadiums
Vaping buffer
25 feet from doors, windows, vents
Signage required
At each building entrance
Appeal window
10 business days to request reconsideration

Summary

Skagit County bans smoking and vaping in outdoor public places controlled by a child care facility or school, and anywhere children congregate, including playgrounds, parks, beaches, athletic fields and stadiums, under SCC 12.51.040. Vaping is separately barred within 25 feet of doors, windows and vents of smoke-free buildings.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Skagit County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(2) No person may smoke or vape in any outdoor public place that is real property under the control of a child care facility or school, and outdoor public places where children congregate, including, but not limited to: playgrounds, parks, beaches, athletic fields, and stadiums. ... Vaping is prohibited within a presumptively reasonable minimum distance of 25 feet from entrances, exits, windows that open, and ventilation intakes that serve an enclosed area where vaping is prohibited so as to ensure that vapor does not enter the area through entrances, exits, open windows, or other means.

Full Breakdown

345) with local rules enforced by the Skagit County Health Officer. 040(2) prohibits smoking or vaping in any outdoor public place that is real property controlled by a child care facility or school, and in any outdoor public place where children congregate, listing playgrounds, parks, beaches, athletic fields and stadiums as examples, without limiting the rule to only those. 050 adds a second outdoor restriction specific to vaping: a presumptively reasonable 25-foot buffer from entrances, exits, operable windows and ventilation intakes serving any enclosed area where vaping is prohibited, so vapor does not drift indoors.

A property owner or employer can rebut that 25-foot presumption by applying to the Health Officer and showing, by clear and convincing evidence, that the site's layout means vapor will not reach those openings at a shorter distance. 040 must be posted too. 030 define "outdoor public place" broadly as any social space open and accessible to the public but located outside buildings, and "smoking" covers tobacco, flavored tobacco such as shisha, and marijuana.

Violations & Fines

The Health Officer administers and enforces Chapter 12.51 and may inspect covered properties at reasonable times. Each violation is a separate offense, and a continuing violation is a separate offense each day it continues. A notice of violation triggers a civil penalty set in the Skagit County Public Health Schedule of Charges, and an unremediated violation can bring a Prosecuting Attorney civil action under SCC 12.51.080.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I smoke in a county park in unincorporated Skagit County?
No. SCC 12.51.040(2) bans smoking and vaping in any outdoor public place where children congregate, and names playgrounds, parks, beaches, athletic fields and stadiums as covered locations, regardless of whether children are present at that moment.
Does the 25-foot buffer apply to smoking too, or only vaping?
SCC 12.51.050 is written specifically for vaping. The 25-foot distance for smoking near doorways comes through the county's adoption of RCW Chapter 70.160 and the definition of "indoor public place" in SCC 12.51.030(6), which folds the same 25-foot figure into what counts as part of the smoke-free indoor space.
How can a business get out of the 25-foot vaping buffer?
SCC 12.51.050 lets an owner, operator or employer apply to the Health Officer to rebut the presumption, but only by showing clear and convincing evidence that vapor will not reach the entrances, exits, windows or vents given the site's specific layout.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Skagit County

All Skagit County rules

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