York County, VA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Sec. 17-23 sits in Article II, Recreational Activities, and is titled "Fires," reflecting that York County, Virginia treats lit smoking material as a fire-safety issue as much as a nuisance one. Subsections (a) and (b) first set out where campfires and picnic fires may be kindled and require they be fully extinguished and never left unattended, cross-referencing section F-301.1 of the Virginia Fire Prevention Code for open burning generally. Subsection (c) then turns to smoking specifically: disposing of a lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe heel, match or other burning material anywhere in a public area is prohibited at all times, no posting required.

Beyond that disposal rule, the appropriate governing official (the county administrator or a designee) may go further and prohibit smoking altogether on specific lands, including roads and trails, for whatever period is prescribed, but only by posting signs advising the public of the restriction. That means a full smoking ban applies only where and when the county has posted one; the litter/fire-hazard rule against discarding lit material applies everywhere in county public areas without exception. The general public-areas penalty and ejection authority in Sec. 17-4 and Sec. 17-3(a) back up both halves of the rule.