San Francisco, CA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

81, bans smoking on any unenclosed area of property in the City and County of San Francisco that is open to the public and under the jurisdiction of the Recreation and Park Commission or any other City department, if the property is a park, square, garden, sport or playing field, pier, or other property used for recreational purposes, or a farmers' market. The ban's reach is defined by its own terms: it covers only unenclosed, outdoor areas; it covers only property open to the public; and it is not limited to Recreation and Park land, since recreational property under any City department's jurisdiction qualifies.

Carve-outs narrow it. 81(e), and playgrounds and tot-lot sandbox areas are covered separately by state law, California Health and Safety Code Section 104495, rather than by this article. The article also yields to stricter law: it does not override a more restrictive state or federal smoking rule. City departments must post signs warning the public that smoking is prohibited on covered property. Penalties escalate with repetition: $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second violation within a year, and $500 for each further violation within that year, enforced by peace officers and Recreation and Park Patrol Officers.