Outdoor Cooking in New York, NY (2026)
2 verified outdoor cooking rules for New York, New York, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
BBQ & Propane Rules
New York City's Fire Code caps propane grills by building type: apartment buildings may only use 16.4-ounce cylinders, capped at four in indoor storage per unit, while one- and two-family homes may run 20-pound tanks but never on a rooftop or balcony. FDNY enforces both limits.
NYC Propane BBQ Rules for Balconies
Some RestrictionsNew York City Fire Code §§ FC 307.5.6.1, FC 307.5.6.2
Only portable outdoor barbecues designed for use with LPG containers with a capacity of 16.4 ounces (0.465 kg) may be stored or used on the premises of a Group R-2 occupancy. Indoor storage of 16.4-ounce (0.465 kg) LPG containers for this or any other purpose is limited to a maximum of four such containers per dwelling unit. Portable outdoor barbecues designed for use with LPG containers with a...
Smoker Rules
New York City's Air Pollution Control Code bans open-air fires outdoors but exempts charcoal or gas barbecue equipment with a grate no larger than ten square feet, so backyard smokers and grills must stay under that size cap to be legal.
NYC Backyard Smoker and Barbecue Rules
Some RestrictionsNew York City Administrative Code § 24-149(a)
No person shall cause or permit the kindling, maintenance or use of any open fire so as to cause the emission of an air contaminant into the open air, except as provided herein: a. ... outdoor residential picnic and barbecue fires in equipment with a total grate area not exceeding ten square feet and designed to utilize charcoal, or equipped with gas burners