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Placer County, CA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Buildings/vehicles
Smoking/vaping banned county-owned or leased
Government center
Fully smoke-free, including outdoor areas
Covered outdoor areas
Parking lots, landscaping, walkways, patios
Interim smoking spots
Few designated areas, 3-yr phase-out planned
Private vehicles
Banned if 2+ occupants and one objects
Penalty
Set by Article 1.24 general code

Summary

Placer County bans smoking and vaping across its own government center and other county-owned or county-leased buildings and vehicles under Article 8.12. At the Placer County government center campus, the ban reaches outdoor areas too, including parking lots, landscaped grounds, walkways, and patios, not just building interiors.

City-specific rules exist: Roseville has its own outdoor smoking restrictions rules that differ from Placer County's county-level regulations. If you live in Roseville, check the city-specific page instead.

Within the Placer County government center, smoking is prohibited in the following areas: 1. Buildings as specified in Section 8.12.020 of the Placer County Code; and 2. County-owned and private vehicles; and 3. Within the boundary of the Placer County government center as defined in Section 8.12.011 of the Placer County Code, including, but not limited to, parking lots, landscapes, walkways, and patios.

Full Breakdown

020 prohibits smoking and vaping inside every county-owned or county-leased building, with signage required at each main entrance noting the prohibition also extends a defined distance from entrances, exits, and operable windows under California Government Code Sections 7596-7598. The rule reaches county-owned and county-leased vehicles too, and any privately owned vehicle carrying two or more people if anyone inside objects. Outside county buildings generally, smoking is permitted in surrounding outdoor areas unless a posted sign says otherwise. The ban goes further at the Placer County government center itself, the campus bounded by Bell Road, 1st Street, Atwood Road, and B Avenue.

030 makes that entire campus smoke-free, covering not just buildings and vehicles but parking lots, landscaped areas, walkways, and patios. The county allows smoking only in a handful of interim designated areas there, such as a spot off Richardson Drive for public use and two more restricted to residents of the county-run homeless shelter and nearby housing, plus any area the county public health officer authorizes. Those interim areas were set to be phased out within three years of the ordinance. This article covers only property the county owns or leases; it does not create a general ban on smoking in Placer County parks, sidewalks, or private business patios outside that footprint.

Violations & Fines

Violating Article 8.12 is punishable as provided in Article 1.24 of the Placer County Code under Section 8.12.040, the county's general penalty provision for code violations, which can include infraction or misdemeanor charges plus per-day treatment of continuing offenses at the government center campus or any other county-owned or leased site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Placer County ban smoking in all outdoor public places?
No. Article 8.12 only reaches property the county owns or leases. Inside the Placer County government center campus it bans smoking in outdoor areas like parking lots, landscaping, walkways, and patios, but it does not create a countywide ban on smoking in parks, sidewalks, or private outdoor spaces elsewhere in the county.
Where can I still legally smoke at the county government center?
Only in a few interim designated areas: a public-use spot off Richardson Drive, an area near the B Avenue roundabout, a courtyard reserved for shelter residents, and any additional area the county public health officer authorizes. Section 8.12.030(C) called for those interim areas to be eliminated within three years of adoption.
Can I smoke in my own car on county property?
Smoking is barred in every county-owned or county-leased vehicle. In a privately owned vehicle, it is also prohibited if two or more people are inside and any one of them objects to the smoke, under Section 8.12.020(B).

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Placer County

All Placer County rules

California rules heatmap·Compare Placer County to another location·View the California public conduct overview

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