Lake County, IL Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer distance
- 20 feet
- Covers
- entrances, windows, air vents
- Circuit Court fine
- $50 per violation
- Admin adjudication fine
- $115 minimum
- Enforced by
- Sheriff, Health Department
Summary
Unincorporated Lake County bars smoking within 20 feet of any public building or workplace's entrance, operable window, or ventilation intake, pushing the county's indoor smoke-free rule out onto sidewalks and patios near doorways.
(A) It shall be unlawful to smoke within 20 feet of an entrance of a public place or a place of employment. (B) It shall be unlawful to smoke within 20 feet of an operable window of a public place or place of employment. (C) It shall be unlawful to smoke within 20 feet of a ventilation air intake of either a public place or a place of employment.
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 Ord. 26-0618, passed 6-9-2026 | State legislation current through ILCS Pamphlet 2025 #5).
Full Breakdown
Lake County Code § 95.04 makes it unlawful to smoke within 20 feet of an entrance, operable window, or ventilation air intake of a public place or place of employment in unincorporated Lake County. It supplements the enclosed-space smoking ban in § 95.03, which implements the state Smoke Free Illinois Act (410 ILCS 82/65). The rule applies only outside city limits. Waukegan, North Chicago, Highland Park, Gurnee, and Libertyville set their own outdoor smoking rules under their own municipal codes. Open park land beyond that 20-foot ring isn't automatically smoke-free unless the property owner posts a no-smoking designation under § 95.06.
Violations & Fines
Violating the 20-foot buffer draws a $50 fine per offense if cited in the 19th Judicial Circuit Court, or a $115 minimum fine through Lake County's administrative adjudication process. The Lake County Sheriff or the Health Department director enforces it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 20-foot buffer apply in Waukegan or Highland Park?
Are Lake County parks entirely smoke-free outdoors?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
Compare Lake County to another location·View the Illinois public conduct overview
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