Travis County, TX Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- County Code Ch. 157, Tobacco-Free Campus
- Buffer from doorways/windows
- 15 feet
- Designated smoking areas
- None permitted
- Effective date
- April 7, 2013
- Scope
- County-owned/leased property only
Summary
Travis County's Tobacco-Free Campus Policy bans tobacco and vapor product use at every county-owned or leased building, vehicle, garage, and parking lot, including outdoor space within 15 feet of any doorway or window that opens. There are no designated smoking areas anywhere on county property.
General. Subject to other specific provisions of this Policy, use of Tobacco Products is not permitted at any time by Employees or Covered Individuals within the limits of all County Facilities. ... No Designated Areas. There will be no designated smoking areas within Facilities. Littering. Littering of tobacco-related products on the grounds of parking areas (lots, garages, driveways) is also prohibited.
Full Breakdown
003 to include all enclosed county property, indoor and outdoor open space between enclosed buildings, all outside areas within fifteen feet of any doorway or window that can be opened, county-owned or leased vehicles wherever located, private vehicles parked on county property, garages, and parking lots. 004 states plainly there are "no designated smoking areas within Facilities," so unlike many workplace smoking policies there is no covered smoking shelter exception on county grounds. The policy also bars littering tobacco-related products in parking lots, garages, and driveways.
Because Travis County's zoning and land-use authority is limited under Texas law, this rule reaches only property the county itself owns, leases, or controls, such as the courthouse complex, county offices, and the vehicle fleet; it does not reach private restaurant patios, bars, or businesses in the unincorporated area, and it does not apply inside the City of Austin, where separate municipal smoking ordinances govern. 001 (authority to maintain public buildings).
Violations & Fines
Compliance is mandatory for all employees and "Covered Individuals" (invitees, subcontractors, clients, visitors) under Section 157.005, and the prohibition is communicated through posted signage at county facilities. The Commissioners Court may waive all or part of the policy in writing for a specific facility. The policy does not itself set a fine schedule; enforcement runs through county facility management and personnel channels rather than the criminal courts, and repeated noncompliance by employees is handled as a workplace policy matter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke outside a Travis County office building?
Does this ban apply to a restaurant patio in unincorporated Travis County?
Is vaping covered by the county's tobacco-free policy?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Travis County
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Travis County to another location·View the Texas public conduct overview
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