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Los Angeles County, CA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Restaurant/bar patio buffer
25 feet from outdoor patron area
Food truck buffer
40 feet from mobile food facility
County parks
Smoking banned, narrow film/contract exceptions
Penalty
$10-$100 fine, infraction
Coverage
Unincorporated LA County only

Summary

Smoking is banned within 25 feet of restaurant and bar patios, within 40 feet of food trucks, on public beaches, and at all county parks in unincorporated Los Angeles County, per County Code §§ 11.64.030 and 17.04.645.

City-specific rules exist: West Covina, Inglewood, Los Angeles, South Gate, El Monte, Norwalk, Carson, Glendale, Lancaster, Palmdale, Pomona, Santa Monica, Long Beach, Downey, Compton, Pasadena, and Santa Clarita have their own outdoor smoking restrictions rules that differ from Los Angeles County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

Smoking, including the use of electronic smoking devices, or allowing smoking or the use of electronic smoking devices, is prohibited in the following places within the unincorporated area of the County of Los Angeles: ... G. Within any area of a public beach, including parking areas designated for use by the public. ... I. Within 25 feet of any outdoor area of an eating establishment or bar set aside for use by patrons.

Source: LA County Code Title 11.36 (Smoke-Free Outdoor Areas)View official code

Full Breakdown

Los Angeles County Code § 11.64.030 bans smoking and vaping in unincorporated-area elevators, buses, museums, libraries, health-care facilities, public meeting rooms, public beaches (including their parking lots), within 40 feet of food trucks and carts, and within 25 feet of any outdoor patio at a restaurant or bar. Section 17.04.645 separately bans smoking at every county park, with narrow exceptions for actors in permitted film shoots and contract-operated facility areas the Director designates. Violating the designated-areas ban is an infraction; owners and operators must post no-smoking signage under §§ 11.64.040-050. Enforcement covers unincorporated LA County only -- cities set their own rules.

Violations & Fines

Smoking in a posted no-smoking area, or failing to post required signage, is an infraction punishable by a fine of $10 to $100 under § 11.64.060; repeat park violations can bring separate county citations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this ban apply inside the City of Los Angeles?
No. The Los Angeles County Code governs only the unincorporated area; the City of Los Angeles and the county's 87 other cities enforce their own separate smoking ordinances.
Can I smoke at a county beach?
No. Section 11.64.030(G) bans smoking anywhere on a public beach in unincorporated LA County, including beach parking lots.
Is smoking allowed anywhere in a county park?
Only in narrow exceptions: actors during a permitted film shoot, models during a permitted photo session, or designated areas of contract-operated facilities at the Director's discretion.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Los Angeles County

All Los Angeles County rules

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Outdoor Smoking Restrictions in Cities Across Los Angeles County