Grand Rapids, MI Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Covers
- Parks, playgrounds, all public places
- E-cigarettes
- Included as a tobacco product
- Buffer zone
- 10 feet from entrances, windows
- Enforced by
- City Manager or designee
- Penalty
- Municipal civil infraction
Summary
Grand Rapids prohibits smoking, including e-cigarettes, in any public place whether open or enclosed: covering city parks, playgrounds, and other areas the public uses, under Chapter 71's Clean Air & Public Places Ordinance.
No person shall:
A.Smoke in any enclosed public or private worksite, or public place (whether open or enclosed) within the City of Grand Rapids, including but not limited to, the following places:1.All enclosed areas of worksites and public places located within the City of Grand Rapids, including business vehicles that are occupied by more than one (1) person, except as exempted by this regulation.2.Restrooms, lobbies, reception halls, hallways and any other common-use areas which are open to the public.3.Buses, taxicabs, and other means of public transit, and ticket, boarding, and waiting areas of public transit depots.4.Service lines.5.Retail stores.6.All areas available to and customarily used by the general public in all business and non-profit entities patronized by the public, including but not limited to, attorney's offices and other offices, banks, laundromats, hotels and motels (including individual rooms), playgrounds, and public parks.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 70).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 71 defines 'public place' to include city parks, playgrounds, and cemeteries, and Section 6.4 bars smoking, defined to include electronic smoking devices as a 'tobacco product', in any public place 'whether open or enclosed.' A related section requires a smoke-free buffer of at least ten feet around entrances, windows, and ventilation systems of any worksite or public place where smoking is barred. The City Manager or a designee enforces the ordinance; violators face a warning first, then a municipal civil infraction if they refuse to extinguish or leave. Golf courses (except clubhouses) are exempt.
Violations & Fines
First offense draws a warning to stop smoking or leave; refusal triggers a municipal civil infraction under Grand Rapids City Code § 9.857.71.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke in a Grand Rapids park?
Does the ban cover vaping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Rapids
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