Sarasota, FL Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- All city-owned public parks
- Covers
- Cigarettes, filtered cigars, pipes, tobacco smoke
- Allowed only in
- City-designated, posted smoking areas
- Exempt
- Privately operated in-park facilities
Summary
The City of Sarasota, Florida bans smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and other burning tobacco products in city-owned public parks, allowing it only in areas the city commission has specifically designated and posted for smoking.
(h)No person shall smoke cigarettes, filtered cigars, or pipes, or use any other devices to inhale smoke from burning tobacco products within a city owned public park, unless such activity occurs in an area designated for smoking or tobacco use by posted signage. The city commission shall establish and designate any such area within a park where smoking or the use of tobacco products is allowed by resolution. This prohibition shall not apply to any facility located within a park that is operated by a duly authorized private entity. The term smoking as used in this section 22-6 shall have the same meaning as in the Florida Clean Air Act. That is, the term "smoking" shall mean "inhaling, exhaling, burning, carrying, or possessing any lighted tobacco product, including cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, and any other lighted product." (Ord. No. 08-4818, § 1, 2-1-10; Ord. No. 11-4980, § 2, 7-5-11; Ord. No. 22-5447, § 1, 10-3-22)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33 | Zoning: Supplement 44).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 22-6(h) bars smoking cigarettes, filtered cigars, pipes, or any device that burns tobacco inside any City of Sarasota-owned public park, unless the city commission has designated and posted a specific smoking area by resolution. The definition of 'smoking' tracks the Florida Clean Air Act: inhaling, exhaling, burning, carrying, or possessing a lighted tobacco product. The rule doesn't reach private businesses, like park concessions or restaurants, operating inside a park under their own authorization.
Violations & Fines
Smoking outside a posted, city-designated smoking area within any city park violates § 22-6(h) and is enforceable as a park-rules violation subject to citation by city code enforcement or police.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke in a Sarasota city park?
Does the smoking ban cover restaurants inside a park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sarasota
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Sarasota to another location·View the Florida public conduct overview
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Outdoor Smoking Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sarasota County handle outdoor smoking restrictions.