Sonoma, CA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited areas
- Parks, sidewalks, dining/service areas
- Buffer distance
- 25 feet from a no-smoking area
- Infraction fine
- $100.00 per SMC 1.12.010
- Civil fine
- $250–$1,000 per violation
- Adopted
- Ordinance 15-2016
Summary
The City of Sonoma bans smoking and vaping in the unenclosed areas of recreational areas, service areas, public places, dining areas, and city-maintained streets and sidewalks. A 25-foot buffer applies around any area where smoking is prohibited, per Sonoma Municipal Code Chapter 7.24.
K. “Reasonable distance” means a distance of 25 feet in any direction from an area in which smoking is prohibited. ... ... A. Smoking and the use of tobacco products is prohibited in the ... unenclosed areas of the following places within the city: 1. Recreational areas; 2. Service areas; 3. Public places; 4. Dining areas; ... ... 6. Other public places, including but not limited to streets and sidewalks located within the city’s rights-of-way or maintained by the city. ... ... A. Smoking in all unenclosed areas shall be prohibited within a reasonable distance from any doorway, window, opening, crack, or vent into an enclosed area in which smoking is prohibited. ... B. Each incident of smoking or use of tobacco products in violation of this chapter is an infraction subject to a $100.00 fine or otherwise punishable pursuant to SMC 1.12.010.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 13-2025, passed December 3, 2025).
Full Breakdown
24 of the Sonoma Municipal Code, adopted by Ordinance 15-2016, defines "reasonable distance" as 25 feet in any direction from an area in which smoking is prohibited. 030 extends the city's indoor smoking ban to unenclosed areas of recreational areas (parks, trails, playgrounds, sports fields), service areas (bus stops, ATM lines, ticket lines), public places open to the general public, dining areas (including outdoor patios and even streets and sidewalks used for consuming food), and other public places including streets and sidewalks within the city's rights-of-way.
Common areas of multi-unit residences can host a designated smoking area only if it meets a strict list of conditions: it cannot exceed 10 percent of the total unenclosed common area, must sit a reasonable distance from units, playgrounds and other no-smoking zones, must have a marked perimeter, and must be posted with conspicuous signs. 040 layers a general reasonable-distance rule on top, barring smoking within 25 feet of any doorway, window or vent leading into an enclosed no-smoking area, though that buffer does not apply to unenclosed areas of single-family homes. 080 clarifies the city does not intend to regulate conduct preempted by the state.
Violations & Fines
Each incident of smoking or tobacco use in violation of Chapter 7.24 is an infraction subject to a $100.00 fine under Sonoma Municipal Code Section 7.24.060(B) and SMC 1.12.010. The city can also bring a civil action carrying a fine of not less than $250.00 and not more than $1,000 per violation, and any violation is declared a nuisance. A private party can sue in small claims or another court once a violator has committed two or more violations, and can recover damages or an injunction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke on a restaurant patio in the City of Sonoma?
How close to a city park can I legally smoke in Sonoma?
Can my apartment building have an outdoor smoking area?
What is the fine for violating Sonoma's outdoor smoking ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma
California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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Outdoor Smoking Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle outdoor smoking restrictions.