Erie, PA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Ordinance
- No. 77-2019, passed 12-18-2019
- Covered areas
- All City-owned parks, playgrounds, rec areas
- Covered products
- Cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, vapes, hookah
- Signage
- "Young Lungs at Play" postings required
- Maximum fine
- $100 plus costs
- Forum
- Magisterial District Justice
Summary
Every City-owned park, playground and recreation area in Erie is designated a tobacco-free zone under Article 747, banning smoking, e-cigarettes, vaping and all other tobacco products outdoors on that property. Signage marks the zones, and violators face a $100 fine before a Magisterial District Justice.
All City-owned parks and recreation areas shall hereby be designated a "tobacco free zone," and the use of any tobacco product or electronic cigarette, in any form, shall be prohibited hereafter.
Full Breakdown
Article 747, enacted by Ordinance No. 02, prohibiting the use of any tobacco product or electronic cigarette in any form. 02(a), and it extends to public streets closed to vehicles but open to pedestrians during special events. 'Tobacco product' is defined broadly to cover cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco and snuff, plus any electronic device delivering nicotine or other substances, such as an e-cigarette, e-cigar, e-pipe or hookah, along with any component or accessory of such a product sold separately; the definition carves out only FDA-approved tobacco-cessation or other therapeutic products marketed for that approved purpose. 03 directs that the community be notified of the article.
Violations & Fines
Section 747.05 makes a violation punishable by a fine of not more than $100 plus costs of prosecution, imposed in a summary proceeding before a Magisterial District Justice with jurisdiction over the offense. The article contains no jail term for a first violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I vape in an Erie city park?
Does Erie's park tobacco ban cover cigars and chewing tobacco too?
How is Erie's tobacco-free park rule marked for the public?
What's the fine for smoking in a tobacco-free Erie park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Erie
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