St. Louis County, MO Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- SLCRO Ch. 605, Indoor Clean Air Code
- Covers marijuana since
- O. No. 28832 (8-9-23)
- Entryway buffer
- 15 feet from public building doors
- Exempt areas
- Private residences, private clubs
- Not covered here
- Cities of 75,000+ with own health dept
Summary
Smoking marijuana counts as "smoking" under the County's Indoor Clean Air Code, so it's banned everywhere cigarette smoking is banned: enclosed public places, county buildings, and near public entrances.
Smoking: Inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying any lighted, heated, or activated cigar, cigarette, or pipe, or any other lighted, heated, or activated product which is made of or contains tobacco, nicotine, marijuana, or another plant or similar product...intended for inhalation. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in smoking within an enclosed public place... Sidewalks, driveways and other open areas within fifteen (15) feet of the entry to any building owned or occupied by any governmental entity.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Traffic: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
St. Louis County's Indoor Clean Air Code (Ch. 605) defines "smoking" to expressly include marijuana and marijuana-infused products intended for inhalation, alongside tobacco and vaping. That folds marijuana into the same public-place smoking ban that covers restaurants, shopping malls, public transit, county-owned property, and sidewalks within 15 feet of a public building entrance. The chapter applies countywide except inside municipalities of 75,000+ residents that run their own health department, so check whether you're in unincorporated St. Louis County, a smaller contract city, or an exempt larger city.
Violations & Fines
Smoking marijuana in a covered public place is a violation of Ch. 605; owners/managers who knowingly allow it are also liable unless they ask the person to stop or leave. Penalties are set under Section 605.090.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke a joint on a St. Louis County sidewalk?
Does the county's smoking ban apply inside restaurants and malls?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis County
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