Rancho Cucamonga, CA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- RCMC § 8.21.035
- Covered areas
- Public parks, trails, playgrounds, recreational areas
- Related bans
- Public plazas (§8.21.045), 20 ft of transit stops
- Includes vaping
- E-cigarettes covered under §8.21.020 definition
- Fine schedule
- $100 first, $200 second, $500 additional (§8.21.180)
- Classification
- Infraction, not misdemeanor
Summary
Lighting up in a Rancho Cucamonga park is illegal. Municipal Code Section 8.21.035 bans smoking outright in every public park, trail, playground and other recreational area the chapter does not separately cover, and violators face the same fine schedule that applies to every other smoking prohibition in Chapter 8.21.
§ 8.21.035. Smoking prohibited in public parks, trails, playgrounds and other recreational areas. Smoking is prohibited and unlawful in all public parks, trails, playgrounds, and other recreational areas not otherwise covered by this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4999536; v21 updated 2026-07-15).
Full Breakdown
035 states plainly that smoking is prohibited and unlawful in all public parks, trails, playgrounds, and other recreational areas not otherwise covered by this chapter. 21 defines 'public park' as any community park, neighborhood park, special use or other park maintained by the city, and 'trail' as any unenclosed area, whether or not contiguous to a public park, used for recreational walking, running and riding and maintained by the city, so the ban follows city-maintained outdoor recreation land rather than stopping at a park's fence line.
075, so the outdoor prohibition reaches well beyond parks alone. 020 defines 'smoke or smoking' broadly to include carrying or holding a lighted pipe, cigar, cigarette, hookah or electronic smoking device, meaning vaping is covered on the same terms as a lit cigarette. 170 clarifies that no property owner has to make structural modifications to comply, only to post the required signage and stop the conduct.
Violations & Fines
Section 8.21.180 makes it unlawful to smoke in a posted nonsmoking area, to fail to post required signs, or to mutilate a required sign. A violation is an infraction, punishable by a fine of up to $100.00 for a first offense, up to $200.00 for a second within a year, and up to $500.00 for each additional violation within that year, with every day of continuing violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is smoking allowed anywhere in Rancho Cucamonga's public parks?
Does the park smoking ban include vaping?
What is the fine for smoking in a Rancho Cucamonga park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rancho Cucamonga
California rules heatmap·Compare Rancho Cucamonga to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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Outdoor Smoking Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle outdoor smoking restrictions.