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

Article XI of Chapter 16, rewritten in full by Ordinance No. 2645 (NCS) on June 8, 2021, finds secondhand smoke a Class A carcinogen and restricts smoking to protect involuntarily exposed employees and the public. 030 lists seven prohibited locations: enclosed public buildings, covered public parking lots and stairwells, buses/taxis/shuttles operating in the city, "service areas" (defined in Sec. 020(n) as outdoor lines for ATMs, ticket sales, bus stops, and transit-depot waiting areas), city-owned vehicles, any property an owner posts as non-smoking, and enclosed workplaces.

"Smoking" is defined broadly in Sec. 020(o) to include burning, heating, or vaping any tobacco product or electronic smoking device, including marijuana. The ordinance does not add outdoor restaurant patios, sidewalks, or parks to that enumerated list, so those areas stay smoke-legal unless the owner posts a "No Smoking" sign under subsection (f). Exceptions exist for private residences (unless used as licensed childcare or healthcare), government-operated facilities, bars excepted under Labor Code Sec. 5(f), licensed gaming clubs and bingo facilities limited to adults, patient smoking areas in long-term care facilities, and up to 20 percent of hotel/motel guest rooms (Sec.

150). Employers may designate a smoking breakroom only if it is separately exhausted outdoors, located where no employee must enter for work duties, and enough nonsmoking breakrooms remain available (Sec. 140). Owners must post "No Smoking" or "smoking prohibited except in designated areas" signs at every entrance, and hotels must post notice of available nonsmoking rooms (Sec. 160). 200 assigns enforcement to the county health officer or a designee, who may act on citizen complaints and request compliance certifications during other mandated inspections.