Redondo Beach, CA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- §§ 5-9.101 to 5-9.107; § 5-8.01
- 20-foot buffer
- From doors, windows, vents into public places
- Beach smoking
- Banned citywide on all beaches
- Exceptions
- Private residences, moving vehicles
- Designated smoking areas
- Permit required, max 25% of outdoor area
- Penalty
- Infraction under § 1-2.03 or § 1-2.02(b)
Summary
Redondo Beach bans smoking in public places citywide, including streets, sidewalks, parks, playgrounds and outdoor dining areas, and within 20 feet of any door, window or vent into a public place. A separate chapter bans smoking outright on all City beaches and recreational areas. Smoking is still allowed on private residential property and inside a moving vehicle.
(a) Except as otherwise provided by this chapter or by State or Federal law, smoking is prohibited in the following locations: (1) Public places; (2) The interior of places of employment, including those regulated by California Labor Code Section 6404.5; (3) Any area within twenty (20') feet of any door, window, opening, or vent, into a public place. (b) Smoking is permitted in the following locations within the City, unless otherwise provided by State or Federal law or this Code: (1) Private residential property, other than those used as a child-care or healthcare facility subject to State licensing requirements; (2) Within a moving vehicle; (3) As provided in Section 5-9.105.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4889554; v14 updated 2026-05-12).
Full Breakdown
Municipal Code Chapter 9, Article 1 defines 'public place' broadly to include streets, sidewalks, plazas, restaurants, stores, parking lots, parks, playgrounds and outdoor dining areas open to the general public. 102 prohibits smoking in any public place, inside places of employment, and within 20 feet of any door, window, opening or vent leading into a public place. The prohibition applies to combustion or vaporization of tobacco, electronic smoking devices and marijuana. Smoking remains allowed on private residential property that is not a licensed child-care or health-care facility, inside a moving vehicle, and in a City-approved designated smoking area.
A business may apply to the Community Development Department for a designated smoking area permit, but it cannot sit within five feet of any door, window or vent, cannot exceed 25 percent of the property's outdoor area, and must be posted with signage meeting the Zoning Code's sign standards. Separately, Chapter 8 bans smoking outright anywhere on a City beach, defined to extend 1,000 feet seaward and inland to specific landmarks such as the Esplanade bluffs and the Redondo Beach Pier breakwall, and in any recreational area or its parking areas, though the beach ban does not extend to the municipal piers or King Harbor's waterways, floats and docks.
Violations & Fines
Each violation of the public-place smoking ban under Section 5-9.102 is an infraction under Chapter 1-2.03, and each instance of prohibited smoking counts as a separate offense. Retaliating against someone who tries to enforce compliance is itself a violation. A private right of action lets any injured person sue for an injunction under Civil Code Section 3501, and violations of the beach smoking ban are enforced as infractions under Section 1-2.02(b) of the Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke on a restaurant patio in Redondo Beach?
Is smoking allowed anywhere on Redondo Beach's beaches?
Can a bar create a smoking patio?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redondo Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Redondo Beach to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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