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Sandy Springs, GA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Banned locations
All city parks operated by recreation and parks dept.
Covered products
Cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, roll-your-own, smokeless tobacco
Enacted
Ord. No. 2014-06-13, June 3, 2014
Maximum fine
$1,000 under Sec. 1-10
Max jail term
6 months or 30 days confinement at labor
Governing section
City Code Sec. 42-43

Summary

Smoking and using any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, is illegal in every city park in Sandy Springs. City Code Sec. 42-43 bans lighting a cigarette, cigar, vape or dip anywhere within park boundaries, with no separate area carved out for smokers. The rule replaced a narrower 2007 ordinance that only addressed underage smoking.

It is unlawful for any person to smoke any substance in a city park. It shall further be unlawful for any person to use any form of tobacco product in a city park. As used in this section, the term "tobacco product" means any product made or derived from tobacco that is intended for human use, including any component, part, or accessory of a tobacco product. This includes, among other products, cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, e-cigarettes, cigars, roll-your-own tobacco, and smokeless tobacco.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 24 | Development Code: Supplement 2 | Technical Manuals: Supplement 4).

Full Breakdown

" The code defines "tobacco product" broadly as "any product made or derived from tobacco that is intended for human use, including any component, part, or accessory of a tobacco product," expressly naming cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, e-cigarettes, cigars, roll-your-own tobacco and smokeless tobacco. Because the ban covers both smoking and tobacco use as separate prohibited acts, vaping and chewing tobacco are barred the same as lighting a cigarette; there is no exception for outdoor picnic areas, trails, athletic fields or parking lots within a park's boundaries.

The current version of Sec. 42-43 was enacted by Ord. No. 2014-06-13 on June 3, 2014, which repealed and replaced a 2007-era provision (Ord. No. 2007-02-16) that had addressed only underage smoking. The parks chapter sits alongside other park-conduct rules in Chapter 42, including bans on alcohol (Sec. 42-38) and open fires outside designated grills (Sec. 42-42). The ordinance applies citywide to every park operated by the city's recreation and parks department; it does not extend to sidewalks, streets or private property outside a park's boundary, so a smoker on a public sidewalk adjacent to a park is not covered by this section.

Violations & Fines

Violating Sec. 42-43 is a Code violation punishable under the citywide penalty in Sec. 1-10: a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, up to 30 days of confinement at labor, or a combination. Recreation and parks department staff and Sandy Springs Police Department officers can cite smokers on the spot; each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I vape in a Sandy Springs park?
No. Sec. 42-43 defines "tobacco product" to include e-cigarettes and bars using any tobacco product in a city park, the same as smoking a cigarette. The ban covers the entire park, not just buildings, so vaping on a trail or bench is prohibited too.
Does the ban apply to sidewalks outside a park?
No. Sec. 42-43 only reaches city parks, meaning land supervised by the recreation and parks department. A sidewalk or street bordering a park is public right-of-way, not park property, so it falls outside this particular section.
What happens if I'm caught smoking in a park?
You can be cited under Sec. 42-43 and face the general Code penalty in Sec. 1-10: a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, up to 30 days confinement at labor, or a combination, with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Sandy Springs

All Sandy Springs rules

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