Georgetown, KY Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Article II of Chapter 20 (Smoking in Public Places) prohibits smoking in enclosed public places (§ 20-24) and in enclosed facilities within places of employment (§ 20-25). Its outdoor provisions are few. Section 20-26 prohibits smoking in the seating areas of all outdoor arenas, stadiums and amphitheaters. Section 20-27 prohibits smoking within a reasonable distance of the outside entrance to or open windows of any enclosed area where smoking is prohibited, and from the air intake of a ventilation system serving such an area, so that tobacco smoke does not enter through entrances, windows or ventilation systems. The code prints no foot measurement for that distance.

Section 20-28(5) exempts the outdoor areas of places of employment from the enclosed-space bans, except those covered by §§ 20-26 and 20-27. Under § 20-29, an owner, operator, manager or other authorized person in control of an establishment, facility or outdoor area can declare the entire place nonsmoking, and once signage conforming to § 20-30(a) is posted, smoking there is prohibited as if the article otherwise prohibited it. That is the route for a patio. Section 20-30 puts the duty to post no-smoking signs or the international no smoking symbol on the owner, operator, manager or other person in control of the premises.

The definition of smoking in § 20-22 covers inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying any lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe or other lighted tobacco product or any other lighted substance, such as marijuana. Section 20-23 says smoking policies for facilities owned or operated by the city, county or commonwealth are governed by regulations adopted in compliance with KRS 61.165, not by the article's own bans.

Enforcement under § 20-32 belongs to the city's code enforcement officer, the city police, the fire department, the county health department (subject to a formal determination by the health board) and other officials designated by the mayor or city council. Any citizen can start enforcement by complaining to any of them.