St. Louis's Outdoor Cooking: The Rules That Matter

If you live in St. Louis or are thinking about moving there, outdoor cooking are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. St. Louis has 2 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of outdoor cooking, and some of them might surprise you.

Smoker Rules

St. Louis exempts barbeque grills and smokers from its recreational-fire ordinance, so backyard cooking fires skip the 12-foot setback, attendant, and 11 p.m. curfew rules that apply to open fire pits.

Key details: Grills/smokers: excluded from 'recreational fire' definition. Recreational fire setback: 12 feet from any structure. Recreational fire curfew: extinguished by 11:00 p.m.. Recreational fire penalty: $100–$500 fine or up to 90 days. Governing chapter: St. Louis Revised Code 11.110.

Violating the recreational-fire rules on location, curfew, attendance, wind, or smoke carries a fine of $100 to $500, up to 90 days imprisonment, or both, but grills and barbeque pits are excluded from this chapter and face no such penalty under it.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find St. Louis gives residents more flexibility on smoker rules.

BBQ & Propane Rules

St. Louis excludes barbecue grills and pits from its recreational-fire ordinance, so the 12-foot setback and curfew rules for open fires and fire pits do not apply to your grill.

Key details: Governing chapter: St. Louis Revised Code § 11.110. Grill/pit status: Excluded from 'recreational fire' definition. Open-fire-only setback: 12 feet from any structure. Open-fire-only curfew: Must be out by 11:00 p.m.. Open-fire violation penalty: $100-$500 fine or up to 90 days.

None under this chapter: grills and pits fall outside its scope entirely. Violating the recreational-fire rules themselves (open fires, fire pits) carries a fine of $100 to $500 or up to 90 days in jail.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find St. Louis gives residents more flexibility on bbq & propane rules.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, St. Louis gives residents more room on outdoor cooking. 2 of the 2 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

Keep in mind that St. Louis can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.