Carroll County, MD Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 94.071, Chapter 94 Parks and Recreation
- Banned
- Smoking, vaping, tobacco and cannabis products
- Designated smoking areas
- None permitted on park property
- Amended
- Ord. 2026-03, passed 3-12-2026
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Carroll County bans smoking, vaping, and any tobacco or cannabis product use on park property outright under Code of Ordinances § 94.071. The rule, updated by Ord. 2026-03 in March 2026 to add cannabis alongside tobacco, applies everywhere in a county park with no designated smoking area carved out.
Smoking, vaping and the use of any tobacco/cannabis products on park property is prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through July 30, 2026).
Full Breakdown
071 is a single, direct sentence inside Chapter 94's Behavior division: smoking, vaping and the use of any tobacco/cannabis products on park property is prohibited. 1) adopted by Ord. 02-08 in 2002, and Ord. 2026-03, passed 3-12-2026, rewrote it to add vaping and cannabis products to the same flat prohibition. 071 carves out no smoking area anywhere on park property, so a park visitor cannot light a cigarette on a bench, at a pavilion, or in a parking lot the way they might find a designated smoking spot at an indoor county building.
070's alcohol rule, which does allow drinking in areas the Manager designates, making the smoking and cannabis ban notably stricter than the county's approach to alcohol in the same parks. Because Chapter 94 covers only county-owned park property in the unincorporated area, this ban does not reach sidewalks, private business patios, or parks run by an incorporated town such as Westminster or Manchester, which set their own smoking rules.
Violations & Fines
Smoking, vaping, or using tobacco or cannabis products anywhere in a Carroll County park is a Chapter 94 misdemeanor under § 94.999(A), carrying a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in the Carroll County Detention Center, or both. Park attendants and Recreation and Parks staff can direct a violator to stop or leave the park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke a cigarette on a bench at a Carroll County park?
Does the county park smoking ban cover vaping and cannabis too?
Is smoking allowed in Carroll County parks if I stay far from other people?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carroll County
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