Knoxville, TN Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Hospital buffer
- 100 feet from entrances
- Covered indoor sites
- schools, elevators, transit, museums
- Signage requirement
- mandatory posted notice
- Penalty basis
- City Code § 1-9 general penalty
Summary
Knoxville bans smoking in schools, elevators, city transit vehicles, and museum or library public areas, plus within 100 feet of hospital entrances, with mandatory posted signage in every restricted zone.
In the following public places, it shall be unlawful for any person to smoke or carry any lighted smoking materials in any form at any time:(1)Inside public elementary or secondary schools.(2)Elevators used by the public in any public place.(3)Public transportation vehicles owned or operated by the city, used by the public.(4)Public areas of museums and libraries.(5)On the grounds of a hospital or in the public areas immediately outside a hospital building and its entrances, including public sidewalks, within a distance of one hundred (100) feet from hospital entrances.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 19-187 forbids smoking or carrying any lit smoking material inside public elementary and secondary schools, public elevators, city-operated transit vehicles, and museum or library public areas, and on hospital grounds or sidewalks within 100 feet of hospital entrances. Owners and managers must post "Smoking Prohibited by City Ordinance" signs in restricted zones and "Smoking Permitted in this Area" signs where smoking is allowed; failing to post required signage is itself a violation, with each unposted day counted separately. Enforcement runs through the city's general penalty section.
Violations & Fines
Violating the smoking ban or failing to post required signage is punished under Knoxville Code § 1-9's general penalty; each day signage remains unposted counts as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke on a public sidewalk in Knoxville?
Does Knoxville ban smoking in city parks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knoxville
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