Wausau, WI Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Wausau Municipal Code § 2.90.030
- Max penalty
- $200 forfeiture per incident (§ 2.90.040)
- Buffer zone
- Up to 50 feet around banned areas
- Covered areas
- Playgrounds, sports fields, pools, tennis courts, Oak Island skate park
- Definition scope
- Includes e-cigarettes and vape pens
- Event waiver
- Written request 60 days before event
Summary
Wausau bans smoking in specific outdoor areas of city parks and city-owned property, including playgrounds, sports fields, swimming pools, the Oak Island Park skate facility, and tennis courts, plus a 50-foot buffer around those spots, under Municipal Code § 2.90.030. Violators face a forfeiture up to $200 per incident.
2.90.030 - Smoking prohibited in specified outdoor areas. (a)No person may smoke in the following areas of a City park or outdoor areas of City property:(1)Playgrounds.(2)Sports fields and sports field seating areas.(3)Swimming pools and all inside fenced areas surrounding swimming pools.(4)Skateboarding facility at Oak Island Park.(5)Within an area up to 50 feet of those areas in subsections (1) through (4) as designated by the Director of Parks, Recreation & Forestry or his or her designee and posted pursuant to subsection (c).(6)Within the fenced areas of tennis courts. ... The penalty for violation of any provision of this chapter shall be a forfeiture of not more than $200.00 for each separate incident, and the municipal bail bond forfeiture shall be $25.00 plus all assessments and costs.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
030. The banned outdoor zones are playgrounds; sports fields and their seating areas; swimming pools and the fenced areas surrounding them; the skateboarding facility at Oak Island Park; the fenced areas of tennis courts; and a buffer zone extending up to 50 feet around those posted locations, set at the discretion of the Director of Parks, Recreation & Forestry. The Director can also post additional no-smoking zones temporarily during department-sponsored events and during approved Class I or II Special Events that are free to the public and where the organizer has requested no smoking.
010 to include burning, holding or inhaling any lighted or heated cigar, cigarette, pipe, or heated tobacco or plant product, and it explicitly covers electronic delivery devices such as e-cigarettes and vape pens that create an aerosol or vapor. Signs marking the no-smoking areas must be sized and placed so the public has reasonable notice. An event organizer can request a waiver from the Public Health and Safety Committee and Common Council for a ticketed, restricted-admission event, but the request must be filed at least 60 days before the event. 95, with its own $200 forfeiture.
Violations & Fines
A person caught smoking, using smokeless tobacco or using tobacco products in a posted no-smoking outdoor area, inside a City-owned facility, or in a City-owned vehicle faces a forfeiture of up to $200 per separate incident under § 2.90.040. The municipal bail bond amount is set at $25 plus all assessments and costs, and City park staff and police enforce the posted boundaries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Wausau's outdoor smoking ban cover vaping?
Where exactly is smoking banned outdoors in Wausau?
Can an event get an exception to the outdoor smoking ban?
What's the fine for violating Wausau's smoking ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wausau
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