Chatham County, GA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Section 21-908 of the Chatham County Smoke-free Air Ordinance of 2012 prohibits smoking outdoors within 10 feet, or a reasonable distance, of the entrances, operable windows and ventilation systems of any enclosed area where smoking is already banned, so smoke does not drift back inside while the space is open or occupied. The same 10-foot buffer applies to outdoor restaurant seating and serving areas, to outdoor public-transportation stations, platforms and shelters under County authority, and to outdoor playgrounds. Outdoor arenas, stadiums and amphitheaters are smoke-free entirely, with an additional buffer of 20 feet, 10 feet, or a reasonable distance around bleachers and grandstands used by spectators. Where a barrier such as a wall, property line, parking lot or street makes the standard buffer impossible to measure, the building owner or operator sets the actual distance.

Section 21-909 carves out limited exceptions: private residences (unless used for childcare, adult day care or health care), up to 20 percent of hotel and motel rooms designated for smoking, most outdoor areas at places of employment, and land the County Commission does not control, such as school board or state and federal property.

Section 21-915 sets the penalties. An individual caught smoking in a banned area faces a fine and court fees up to $100. A business owner, manager or operator who fails to keep the premises compliant faces $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second within a year, and up to $500 for each additional violation in that year, plus possible suspension or revocation of the premises' permit or license; each day of violation counts separately, and the Article declares violations a public nuisance. The Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department enforces the Article, per section 21-914.