Colorado Revised Statutes

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 25-14-204 (2026)

General smoking restrictions

✓ current as of July 2026
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(1) Except as provided in section 25-14-205, smoking is not permitted and a person shall not smoke in any indoor area, including: (a) Public meeting places; (b) Elevators; (c) Government-owned or -operated means of mass transportation, including, but not limited to, buses, vans, and trains; (d) Taxicabs and limousines; (e) Grocery stores; (f) Gymnasiums; (g) Jury waiting and deliberation rooms; (h) Courtrooms; (i) Child day care facilities; (j) Health-care facilities including hospitals, health-care clinics, doctor's offices, and other health-care-related facilities; (k) (I) Any place of employment that is not exempted, whether or not open to the public and regardless of the number of employees. (II) In the case of employers who own facilities otherwise exempted from this part 2, each such employer shall provide a smoke-free work area for each employee requesting not to have to breathe secondhand smoke and emissions from electronic smoking devices. (l) Food service establishments; (m) Bars; (n) Limited gaming facilities and any other facilities in which any gaming or gambling activity is conducted; (o) Indoor sports arenas; (p) Restrooms, lobbies, hallways, and other common areas in public and private buildings, condominiums, and other multiple-unit residential facilities; (q) Repealed. (r) Bowling alleys; (s) Billiard or pool halls; (t) Facilities in which games of chance are conducted; (u) (I) The common areas of retirement facilities, publicly owned housing facilities, and nursing homes, but not including any resident's private residential quarters. (II) Nothing in this part 2 affects the validity or enforceability of a contract, whether entered into before, on, or after July 1, 2006, that specifies that a part or all of a facility or home specified in this paragraph (u) is a smoke-free area. (v) Public buildings; (w) Auditoria; (x) Theaters; (y) Museums; (z) Libraries; (aa) To the extent not otherwise provided in section 25-14-103.5, public and nonpublic schools; (bb) Other educational and vocational institutions; (cc) Airports; (dd) Hotel and motel rooms; (ee) Assisted living facilities, including nursing facilities as defined in section 25.5-4- 103 and assisted living residences as defined in section 25-27-102; and (ff) The entryways of all buildings and facilities listed in subsections (1)(a) to (1)(ee) of this section. (2) A cigar-tobacco bar: (a) Shall not expand its size or change its location from the size and location in which it existed as of December 31, 2005; and (b) Shall prohibit entry by any person under twenty-one years of age and shall display signage in at least one conspicuous place and at least four inches by six inches in size stating: "Smoking allowed. Persons under twenty-one years of age may not enter." (3) A retail tobacco business: (a) Shall prohibit entry by any person under twenty-one years of age; and (b) Shall display signage in at least one conspicuous place and at least four inches by six inches in size stating either: (I) "Smoking allowed. Persons under twenty-one years of age may not enter."; or (II) In the case of a retail tobacco business that desires to allow the use of ESDs but not other forms of smoking on the premises, "Vaping allowed. Persons under twenty-one years of age may not enter."

Source: L. 2006: Entire part added, p. 56, § 1, effective July 1. L. 2007: (1)(u) amended, p. 398, § 1, effective August 3. L. 2013: IP(1) amended, (SB 13-283), ch. 332, p. 1895, § 14, effective May 28. L. 2019: IP(1), (1)(k), (1)(u)(I), (1)(bb), and (1)(cc) amended, (1)(q) repealed, and (1)(dd), (1)(ee), and (1)(ff) added, (HB 19-1076), ch. 337, p. 3094, § 3, effective July 1; (2) amended and (3) added, (HB 19-1076), ch. 337, p. 3094, § 3, effective October 1. L. 2020: (2)(b) and (3) amended, (HB 20-1001), ch. 302, p. 1503, § 2, effective July 14.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4 cases, 2006–2012 · leading case: Curious Theatre Co. v. Colorado Dep't of Pub. Health & Env't, 220 P.3d 544 (Colo. 2009).
Curious Theatre Co. v. Colorado Dep't of Pub. Health & Env't, 220 P.3d 544 (Colo. 2009). · cites it 4× “The legislative declaration states the statute is meant to effectuate a balance to protect nonsmokers from involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke and unwarranted governmental intrusion: The general assembly hereby finds and determines that it is in the best interest of the people…”
Curious Theater Co. v. Colorado Dep't of Pub. Health & Env't, 216 P.3d 71 (Colo. Ct. App. 2008). · cites it 2× “With narrow exceptions not relevant here, the Smoking Ban is applied uniformly to indoor areas where members of the public may congregate, including public meeting places, courtrooms, hospitals, restaurants, restrooms, libraries, and theaters.”
Coalition for Equal Rights, Inc. v. Owens, 458 F. Supp. 2d 1251 (D. Colo. 2006). “” § 25-14-204(1). The plain language of the act thus prohibits both smoking by patrons and the allow *1262 ing of smoking by bar and restaurant owners.”
Amvets Post 711 v. Rutter, 863 F. Supp. 2d 670 (N.D. Ohio 2012). “, Colo.Rev.Stat. § 25-14-204; De.Code Ann. tit.”
— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 25-14-204(1) — 1 case
Coalition for Equal Rights, Inc. v. Owens, 458 F. Supp. 2d 1251 (D. Colo. 2006). “” § 25-14-204(1). The plain language of the act thus prohibits both smoking by patrons and the allow *1262 ing of smoking by bar and restaurant owners.”
— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 25-14-204(1)(x) — 1 case
Curious Theatre Co. v. Colorado Dep't of Pub. Health & Env't, 220 P.3d 544 (Colo. 2009). “The legislative declaration states the statute is meant to effectuate a balance to protect nonsmokers from involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke and unwarranted governmental intrusion: The general assembly hereby finds and determines that it is in the best interest of the people…”
— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 25-14-204(l)(k)(I) — 1 case
Curious Theater Co. v. Colorado Dep't of Pub. Health & Env't, 216 P.3d 71 (Colo. Ct. App. 2008). “With narrow exceptions not relevant here, the Smoking Ban is applied uniformly to indoor areas where members of the public may congregate, including public meeting places, courtrooms, hospitals, restaurants, restrooms, libraries, and theaters.”
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