Yucaipa, CA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Yucaipa Municipal Code § 12.04.255 applies to every public park, playground and trail in the City of Yucaipa. Subsection A bars possession of a burning tobacco or tobacco-related product, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes or similar devices. The ban turns on the lit product being in the person's possession, so carrying a lit cigarette through a trailhead counts without any need to show someone inhaled.

Subsection B covers litter. Nobody can dispose of lighted or unlighted cigarettes or cigars, cigarette or cigar butts, or any other tobacco-related waste, including chewing tobacco, in or on a public park, playground or trail except in a receptacle designated for that disposal. Subsection C protects people who complain: no one can intimidate, threaten reprisal or carry out a reprisal against another person who seeks compliance with the section.

Subsection D defines smoking broadly. It means inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying any lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe, plant, weed or any other lighted smoking product or equipment used to burn any tobacco product, weed, plant or another combustible substance, plus the lighting of such a device and the exhaling of gaseous products and particles it creates. The definition is not limited to tobacco.

The section reaches only parks, playgrounds and trails. The park chapter's definitions also treat athletic fields and other outside recreation areas operated by the city as parks. Sidewalks, patios and private businesses are not covered by this section, and the code section read here does not set a separate patio rule. Subsection E sets the penalty route: violations are infractions unless prosecuted through an administrative citation procedure established by the city. Under § 12.04.350, the city police department has primary responsibility for enforcing the park chapter.