Santa Ana, CA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered areas
- City buildings, parks, stadium, zoo
- Exceptions
- Open-air entryways, courtyards, balconies, parking structures
- Definition
- Lighted pipe, cigar or cigarette of any kind
- Penalty class
- Infraction under Penal Code §19.6
- Signage
- Required under Sec. 18-41
Summary
Santa Ana bans smoking outright in every city building, park, stadium and zoo under Sec. 18-40. The prohibition covers lighted pipes, cigars and cigarettes as defined in Sec. 18-39, with narrow carve-outs for open-air entryways, courtyards, balconies and parking structures. Violating the ban is a state Penal Code infraction, and the city must post 'No Smoking' signage wherever the rule applies.
(a)Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) below, no person shall smoke in any city building, park, stadium or zoo. Violation of this section shall be an infraction as specified in Section 19.6 of the Penal Code of the State of California.(b)Subsection (a) above shall not apply to the following areas:(1)Open-air entryways, courtyards or balconies.(2)Parking structures.(3)Any area of a building occupied by a tenant pursuant to a lease agreement with the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 18-40(a) makes it unlawful to smoke in any city building, park, stadium or zoo, covering every Santa Ana-owned park, recreation area, playground, Class I bike trail and paseo, plus the Eddie West Field-Santa Ana Stadium and the Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park, as defined in Sec. 18-39. 'Smoke or smoking' is defined broadly to include carrying, holding, possessing or lighting a pipe, cigar or cigarette of any kind: a definition written for tobacco products rather than cannabis specifically. Sec. 18-40(b) carves out three exceptions: open-air entryways, courtyards or balconies; parking structures; and any area of a city building leased to a private tenant.
This citywide park-and-building ban overlaps with the parks-only smoking prohibition in Sec. 19, adopted the same year by the same ordinance (Ord. No. NS-2827, 2-6-12) using the identical park/stadium/zoo definitions carried over from Chapter 31. Sec. 18-41 requires 'No Smoking' signs to be conspicuously posted in every room, building, or other place where the article prohibits smoking, with the posting duty falling on the department head, operator, manager or other person in control of the space. The article sits in Division 1 of the public smoking regulations chapter, rewritten in its entirety by Ord. No. NS-2827 in 2012, replacing an older 1980 city-buildings-only rule.
Violations & Fines
Smoking in violation of Sec. 18-40 is charged as an infraction under Penal Code Section 19.6 of the California Penal Code, the state's default classification and fine schedule for infractions when a city ordinance doesn't set its own penalty. Santa Ana police and code enforcement officers can issue citations at any park, city building, the stadium or the zoo; the required posted signage under Sec. 18-41 gives the public notice of where the ban applies before a citation issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Santa Ana's park smoking ban cover cannabis?
Can I smoke in a parking structure at a city park?
What happens if I'm caught smoking in a Santa Ana park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Ana
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Ana to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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