Kershaw County, SC Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer from entries
- 10 feet
- Max fine
- $50.00 infraction
- Covers vaping
- Yes, electronic vaping devices included
- Private vehicles
- Exempt from the article
- Signage required
- Universal no-smoking symbol at every entrance
Summary
Smoking and vaping are banned inside and on the grounds of any county-owned building, vehicle, campus, sports arena or parking lot in Kershaw County, and within ten feet of entries and outdoor boundaries. Violators face a $50 fine.
(a)Prohibition of smoking and use of tobacco products on county property. Smoking and the use of tobacco products are prohibited:(1)In or on any building or enclosed area owned, leased, operated and/or occupied by the county.(2)In any vehicle or mobile equipment owned, leased, operated and/or controlled by the county.(3)On or in any grounds, campus, sports arena and/or parking lot that is owned, leased, operated or occupied by the county.(b)Reasonable distance of entry and outdoor area. Smoking is prohibited within a distance of ten feet from any entry into a building or enclosed area where smoking is prohibited, so as to ensure that tobacco smoke does not enter the area through entrances, windows, ventilation systems, or other means. Smoking is also prohibited within ten feet of the boundary of the outdoor area where smoking is prohibited. ... (f)Penalty.(1)A person who smokes or uses tobacco products in an area where smoking and the use of tobacco products is prohibited by the provisions of this article shall be guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine not exceeding $50.00.
Full Breakdown
Kershaw County Code §§ 26-27 and 26-28 prohibit smoking and use of tobacco products, including electronic vaping devices, in or on any building or enclosed area owned, leased, operated or occupied by the county, in any county vehicle or mobile equipment, and on any county grounds, campus, sports arena or parking lot. The ban extends outward: smoking is also prohibited within ten feet of any entry into a building or enclosed area where it is banned, and within ten feet of the boundary of any outdoor no-smoking area, so smoke cannot drift back in through doors, windows or ventilation systems.
Someone already smoking before reaching that ten-foot line may keep walking through it without stopping. Every covered location must post the universal "No Smoking and Use of Tobacco Products Prohibited" symbol and a sign at each entrance, and ashtrays must be removed from banned areas. The article carries an anti-retaliation clause protecting employees, applicants and customers who report violations, and private vehicles are exempt from the whole article.
Violations & Fines
Smoking or using tobacco products where prohibited is an infraction punishable by a fine not exceeding $50.00. A violation is also declared a public nuisance that the county may abate by restraining order or injunction and recover abatement costs for, and each continuing violation counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke in the parking lot of a Kershaw County government building?
Does the county ban apply to vaping?
What is the fine for smoking in a banned area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kershaw County
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