Fire Regulations in Franklin, TN (2026)
8 verified fire regulations for Franklin, Tennessee, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pit Rules
The City of Franklin Fire Marshal's Office permits residential use of above-ground fire pits, chimineas, and smokeless fire pits without a burn permit. Open burning of brush or trash is prohibited inside Franklin city limits. Campfires and bonfires (those not in an above-ground appliance) require a burn permit from the Franklin Fire Department and are issued only for approved recreational settings - not for burning yard waste or trash. The Franklin Fire Department enforces the 2024 edition of the International Fire Code (IFC) and the 2024 edition of NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, per Title 7, Chapter 2 of the Franklin Municipal Code. Tennessee's statewide minimum standard is the 2018 IBC/IRC/IFC family under TCA 68-120-101.
Franklin Fire Pit Rules: Above-Ground Fire Pits Allowed Without Permit
Few RestrictionsFireworks
The City of Franklin has prohibited the sale and use of consumer fireworks since 1999 by ordinance adopted under Title 7 of the Franklin Municipal Code. Sky lanterns are also prohibited statewide. Tennessee Code Annotated 68-104-116 expressly authorizes municipalities to regulate, restrict, or totally prohibit the sale and use of fireworks within their corporate limits even though TCA Chapter 68-104 otherwise legalizes consumer fireworks (Class C / 1.4G) statewide. The Franklin Fire Department and Franklin Police Department jointly enforce the ban; violators may face fines under Franklin Municipal Code penalties and may be held civilly liable for any damages caused. Permitted public fireworks displays under TCA 68-104 require a State Fire Marshal display permit and local Franklin Fire Marshal approval.
Franklin Fireworks: Banned Since 1999 (Sale and Use Prohibited Citywide)
Heavy RestrictionsBrush Clearance
Title 13 (Property Maintenance Regulations) of the Franklin Municipal Code requires every property owner or tenant to periodically cut grass and weeds and keep the property free of accumulated brush and debris. Burning brush is prohibited inside Franklin city limits; instead, the City of Franklin Sanitation and Environmental Services / Solid Waste Department (615-794-1516) collects yard waste and brush curbside from homeowners weekly at no additional charge. Grass clippings and small ground waste must be placed in brown biodegradable paper bags; larger limbs and clippings may be set out loose at the curb. Owners cited for overgrown vegetation are typically given a written notice and a 10-day window to remedy before the City may abate at the owner's expense.
Franklin Brush Clearance: Title 13 Property Maintenance + Free City Yard Waste Pickup
Some RestrictionsOutdoor Burning
Open burning of residential brush, yard waste, and trash is prohibited inside Franklin city limits per the Franklin Fire Marshal's Office under Title 7, Chapter 2 (Fire Code) of the Franklin Municipal Code, which adopts the 2024 International Fire Code. Campfires and bonfires require a burn permit issued by the Franklin Fire Marshal's Office and are approved only in recreational settings (not for trash or yard waste); permits are subject to inspection. Above-ground fire pits, chimineas, and smokeless fire pits do not require a permit. Outside Franklin city limits in unincorporated Williamson County, the Tennessee Division of Forestry requires a free burn permit from October 15 through May 15 for any outdoor burning within 500 ft of forestland or grassland (TCA 68-102 and Rule 0080-03-04). Use the City's free weekly curbside yard waste collection (Solid Waste, 615-794-1516) as the lawful alternative.
Franklin Outdoor Burning: Brush and Trash Prohibited; Campfires & Bonfires by Permit Only
Heavy RestrictionsWildfire Zones
Franklin sits in Middle Tennessee's Central Basin / Highland Rim transition in Williamson County and is not within a federally mapped Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) zone. Tennessee does not adopt the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) statewide; TCA 68-120-101 establishes the 2018 IBC/IRC/IFC family as the statewide minimum and the State Fire Marshal's Office administers it. Wildfire-related controls inside Franklin therefore come from (1) the Franklin Fire Marshal's local prohibition on open burning of brush and trash under Title 7, Chapter 2 of the Franklin Municipal Code, and (2) Tennessee's statewide outdoor-burning permit season under TCA 68-102, which requires a free burn permit from October 15 through May 15 for any outdoor burning within 500 ft of forestland or grassland - applicable in unincorporated Williamson County around Franklin.
Franklin Wildfire Risk: Middle TN Central Basin, No Federally Mapped WUI Zone
Few RestrictionsSmoke Detectors
Smoke alarm requirements in Franklin homes follow Tennessee Code Annotated 68-120-112 (Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms in residential buildings) and the statewide 2018 International Residential Code adopted under TCA 68-120-101. Smoke alarms must be installed in each sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on each story of the dwelling, in accordance with the IRC and the manufacturer's instructions. The Franklin Fire Department also participates in the State Fire Marshal's Office Get Alarmed, TN! program, providing free 10-year sealed-battery smoke alarm installation to qualifying City of Franklin residents (homes built before 1990 without adequate coverage, deaf/hard-of-hearing residents, or those who cannot afford to purchase alarms). Requests are processed in six to eight weeks; firefighters install on-site.
Franklin Smoke Alarms: TCA 68-120-112 + Free Installation Through Get Alarmed TN
Heavy RestrictionsBackyard Fires
Backyard fires in Franklin fall into three categories under Title 7, Chapter 2 (Fire Code) of the Franklin Municipal Code, which adopts the 2024 IFC: (1) above-ground fire pits, chimineas, and smokeless fire pits - allowed without a permit; (2) campfires and bonfires not in an above-ground appliance - require a burn permit from the Franklin Fire Marshal's Office and are approved only in recreational settings, subject to inspection; (3) open burning of brush, yard waste, or trash - prohibited inside city limits regardless of containment. The IFC's recreational-fire standards (Section 307) require attendance by an adult with an extinguishment means and minimum setbacks from structures and combustibles; the Franklin Fire Marshal applies these to permitted campfires and bonfires.
Franklin Backyard Fires: Fire Pit OK Without Permit; Bonfire & Campfire Require Permit
Some RestrictionsPropane Storage
Propane (LP-gas) storage, use, and dispensing in Franklin is regulated by the Tennessee LP-Gas Code (Tennessee adoption of NFPA 58, 2020 edition) under Tennessee's Liquefied Petroleum Safety Act of Tennessee (TCA Title 68, Chapter 135) and Tennessee Rules 0780-02-17, and by Chapter 61 (Liquefied Petroleum Gases) of the 2024 International Fire Code adopted locally under Title 7, Chapter 2 of the Franklin Municipal Code. The State Fire Marshal's Office regulates LP-gas dealers, transporters, and bulk facilities; the Franklin Fire Marshal's Office enforces in-City installations. Container installations more than 2,000 gallons single or 4,000 gallons aggregate water capacity require construction documents. Per IFC Chapter 61 and NFPA 58, LP-gas grills with containers larger than 2.5 lb water capacity may not be operated or stored on combustible balconies of multi-family buildings (1- and 2-family dwellings and fully sprinklered buildings exempt).
Franklin Propane (LP-Gas) Storage: TN LP Gas Code (NFPA 58) + 2024 IFC Chapter 61
Some RestrictionsLooking for Williamson County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Franklin city rules.
Fire Regulations in Williamson County →