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Livermore, CA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
LMC § 8.10.050
Reasonable-distance buffer
20 feet
Outdoor bans include
parks, downtown zone, transit stops
Violation classification
infraction (§ 8.10.130)
Enforcement
City Manager or designee
Exempt locations
private residences, tobacco shops, freestanding bars

Summary

Livermore bans smoking in every enclosed public place and in a defined list of outdoor public places, including parks, the downtown nonsmoking area, and approved outdoor dining areas, under LMC § 8.10.050. Smoking is also barred within a "reasonable distance," fixed at 20 feet, of any area where it is prohibited, and violators are guilty of an infraction under § 8.10.130.

Smoking shall be prohibited in all enclosed public places within the City, including the following: 1. Elevators and restrooms; 2. Buses, taxicabs and other means of public transit... 4. Retail stores, except retail tobacco stores; 5. Retail food marketing establishments, including grocery stores and supermarkets; ... 7. Restaurants, including bars and banquet rooms in, open to or directly accessible from restaurants and outdoor dining areas approved and permitted by the City; 8. Bars; ... B. Smoking shall be prohibited in the following outdoor public places within the City, including the following: 1. Downtown nonsmoking area; 2. Parks; 3. Approved outdoor dining areas associated with a restaurant, temporary or special event, or outdoor market including mobile food vendors; 4. All public transportation facilities, including designated transit stops; 5. Within a reasonable distance of any area where smoking is prohibited as defined in this chapter.

Full Breakdown

10, prohibits smoking in all enclosed public places within the City. 050(A) lists more than a dozen examples, including elevators and restrooms, service lines, retail stores other than tobacco shops, grocery stores and supermarkets, restaurants and bars, bingo parlors and card clubs, theaters, sports arenas, health and child care facilities, polling places, and the common areas of apartment and condominium buildings. Subsection (B) extends the ban outdoors to the downtown nonsmoking area, parks, approved outdoor dining areas tied to a restaurant or special event, transit facilities and stops, and to any area within a reasonable distance of a place where smoking is already prohibited, a distance the definitions section fixes at 20 feet, measured from the nearest exit, entrance, or operable window.

060 to keep the entire workplace smoke-free, post "No Smoking" or "Smoke Free" signs, and make sure any outdoor smoking area is far enough from doors and windows that smoke does not drift back inside. 070: private residences (except while operating as a licensed family day care or health facility), retail tobacco stores, outdoor areas a reasonable distance from any smoking-free zone, freestanding bars, and designated ventilated smoking rooms. Any owner or manager may also voluntarily declare an entire exempt establishment nonsmoking. 010.

Violations & Fines

Smoking in a posted nonsmoking area, or an owner's failure to keep a covered premises compliant, is an infraction under LMC § 8.10.130, punishable by the fine set in § 1.16.010's infraction schedule. The City Manager or designee administers and enforces the chapter under § 8.10.110, and § 8.10.120 protects any employee or applicant from being fired, refused employment, or otherwise retaliated against for exercising rights under the smoking ordinance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I smoke in a Livermore park?
No. § 8.10.050(B)(2) specifically lists "parks" among the outdoor public places where smoking is prohibited, along with the downtown nonsmoking area, approved outdoor dining areas, and public transit stops.
How close to a building entrance can I legally smoke in Livermore?
At least 20 feet. Section 8.10.030(N) defines "reasonable distance" as 20 feet from any area where smoking is banned, measured from the nearest exit, entrance, or operable window of an enclosed nonsmoking building.
Is smoking in a bar allowed in Livermore?
Only in a freestanding bar, which § 8.10.070(A)(4) exempts from the chapter's restrictions; bars attached to or accessible from a restaurant are covered by the enclosed-public-place ban in § 8.10.050(A)(7).
What is the penalty for smoking where it is banned in Livermore?
It's an infraction under § 8.10.130(C), punishable by the fine set in the general infraction schedule at LMC § 1.16.010, and property owners or managers can separately be cited for failing to keep their premises compliant.

Sources & Official References

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