Fines for Smoking Where It Is Banned

Why this page has gaps

Provinces write the penalties into their laws and regulations, and many government summary pages leave the dollar figures out. Rather than quote old news or third-party tables, we list only amounts that appear on an official page we opened. Where no amount is shown, the table says so.

Individuals: amounts we confirmed

Jurisdiction	Offence	Amount
Ontario	Smoking or vaping where banned, on conviction	$1,000 first offence; $5,000 any further offence
Northwest Territories	Smoking in a public place or in a vehicle with someone under 19	$500 first violation; up to $1,000 for repeat violations
Saskatchewan	Smoking or vaping in a vehicle with a passenger under 16	$220
Alberta	Vaping in a prohibited place	$250
Alberta	Minor possessing or consuming a vaping product	$100
Nova Scotia	Smoking in a vehicle with a passenger under 19	$394.50 in the 2008 announcement; amount may have changed
Federal workplaces	Individual smoking where prohibited under the Non-smokers’ Health Act	up to $50 first offence; up to $100 later
Manitoba	Smoking or vaping where banned	enforced by warnings and charges; no amounts listed
British Columbia	Smoking or vaping where banned	no amounts listed on the page we read

Ontario’s page gives its figures for a conviction, not as a ticket price. Saskatchewan’s $220 is the amount its page states for the vehicle offence. Nova Scotia’s amount comes from a 2008 provincial news release and we have not seen a current figure.

Businesses and employers

• Federal workplaces. Employers who break the core duties can be fined up to $1,000 for a first offence and up to $10,000 for later ones. See workplace smoking laws.
• Alberta retailers. $500 to $750 for selling or giving tobacco or vaping products to a minor, and $500 for a manager who fails to post required signs. These are sales offences, not smoking offences.

We did not confirm penalties for owners who fail to prevent smoking in other provinces.

Who writes the ticket

It varies. Saskatchewan says the RCMP and municipal police enforce its vehicle ban and Tobacco Enforcement Officers enforce public-place rules. The Northwest Territories names the RCMP for its vehicle rule. Alberta has a Tobacco and Vaping Enforcement Team that inspects retailers and responds to public complaints. Manitoba enforces through education, compliance checks, warnings and charges and refers public-place complaints to local public health inspectors. Cities may have their own bylaw officers and their own penalties; the rules-by-city database is a starting point.

Disputing a ticket

The pages we read do not explain a dispute process, so we do not give steps. In general, the ticket you receive lists the options and deadlines. If you are unsure, ask the issuing agency or a legal clinic. Under the federal Non-smokers’ Health Act, a person can plead guilty by paying the fine within 15 days.

What to take from this

Penalties are real but unevenly published. If you want the rule rather than the price, see smoking in a car with children, distance from doors and smoking and vaping laws by province.