La Habra, CA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Section 12.28.140 of the La Habra Municipal Code makes it unlawful for any person, at any time, to smoke or vape in city parks, in city park parking lots, within twenty feet of a city park or its parking lot, or within twenty-five feet of any playground or tot-lot sandbox area. The definitions section sweeps broadly: 'smoke,' 'vape,' and 'smoking' cover the direct burning or indirect heating of a cigar, cigarette, pipe, electronic cigarette, or any other smoking article using tobacco, plant product including marijuana, or any other combustible substance, plus simply holding or carrying a lighted device or exhaling its smoke.

The ordinance also bars intimidating or retaliating against anyone who tries to get another person to comply with the smoking ban. The city must post conspicuous signs, in all-capital lettering at least one inch tall on a contrasting background, stating the prohibition in every public park; Community Development and Community Services staff rely on that signage to put visitors on notice before Police issue a citation. The stated purpose clauses tie the ban to protecting children and non-smokers from secondhand smoke exposure while keeping park grounds cleaner, and the section is written to supplement, not duplicate, state and federal smoking law.