Milwaukee County, WI Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer zone
- 30 feet from facility entrances/exits
- Applies to
- County-owned enclosed facilities
- Also covers
- Vehicles owned or leased by county
- Penalty
- $25 to $500 civil forfeiture
- Enforced by
- Director of Public Works
Summary
Milwaukee County bans smoking inside or within 30 feet of any entrance or exit of a county-owned enclosed facility, and in any vehicle owned or leased by the county, under General Ordinances § 64.02.
Smoking or carrying, possessing, or being in control of any lit tobacco products is prohibited in, or within thirty (30) feet of any entrance or exit, any enclosed facility on any premises or in any vehicle owned by or leased to the county.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 112).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 64's smoking ban is scoped to county property, not a citywide or park-wide rule. Section 64.02 prohibits smoking, and carrying or possessing lit tobacco products, inside any 'enclosed facility' -- defined in § 64.01(b) as any structure surrounded on all sides -- plus a 30-foot buffer around that facility's entrances and exits, on any county-owned premises. The same section bars smoking in any vehicle the county owns or leases. The director of public works administers the chapter countywide under § 64.04. Violators face a civil forfeiture of $25 to $500 per § 64.03. Smoking elsewhere outdoors on county land, away from a facility entrance, isn't reached by this chapter.
Violations & Fines
Smoking within 30 feet of a county facility entrance, inside the facility, or in a county vehicle draws a civil forfeiture of $25 to $500 per violation under § 64.03, enforced by the director of public works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this ban smoking in Milwaukee County parks generally?
What counts as an 'enclosed facility' under this chapter?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Milwaukee County
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