Shawnee County, KS Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Where banned
- All county-owned property, indoors and outdoors
- First offense fine
- Up to $100.00
- Second offense fine
- Up to $200.00 within a year
- Third+ offense fine
- Up to $500.00 within a year
- Enforcement agency
- Shawnee County Sheriff's Office
- Exception
- SVEC and parks/recreation sites, if management allows
Summary
Smoking is banned on all county-owned property, indoors and outdoors, under Sec. 23-4, with fines that climb from $100 for a first offense to $500 for a third within a year, though the county allows exceptions at SVEC and parks and recreation sites.
(c)Smoking shall be prohibited upon all county-owned property. However, smoking at the SVEC and county parks and recreation property may be permitted by the management of those areas...(e)Violation of this provision shall be enforced by the county sheriff's office in a manner consistent with that law enforcement agency's policy for misdemeanor offenses. Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by:(1)A fine not exceeding $100.00 for the first violation.(2)A fine not exceeding $200.00 for the second violation within a one-year period of the first violation.(3)A fine not exceeding $500.00 for a third or subsequent violation within a one-year period of the first violation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 23-4 declares the county's purpose is to protect public health by eliminating smoking on all property owned by the board of county commissioners, guarantee non-smokers' right to breathe smoke-free air, and give that right priority over the choice to smoke. A. 65-4105 through 65-4113. Subsection (c) prohibits smoking on all county-owned property but carves out a local option: smoking at the SVEC and county parks and recreation property may be permitted by the management of those areas. That local carve-out is echoed at specific facilities elsewhere in the code, several of which go further and ban smoking outright: Sec.
21-194 prohibits smoking in park shelters, Sec. 21-223 in aquatic facilities, Sec. 21-309 at community centers, and Sec. 21-380 and 21-407 at Old Prairie Town and the Helen Hocker Theatre. The county facilities management department must post conspicuous no-smoking signs with lettering at least one inch tall.
Violations & Fines
The county sheriff's office enforces Sec. 23-4 as a misdemeanor offense using its standard policy for misdemeanors: a fine not exceeding $100.00 for a first violation, not exceeding $200.00 for a second violation within one year of the first, and not exceeding $500.00 for a third or subsequent violation within a year of the first. A county employee who violates the ban also faces separate discipline under Sec. 23-4(f) for personal conduct detrimental to county service, and fines collected are retained by the county to defray enforcement costs, with any excess going to the county's general fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke outdoors on Shawnee County property?
What's the fine for smoking on county property in Shawnee County?
Does the smoking ban cover marijuana or other drugs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shawnee County
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