2 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Polk County, Iowa.
Verified from official government sources
Backyard barbecuing is treated as a recreational/cooking fire under Iowa's open-burning rules, so grilling with propane or charcoal at a single-family home is allowed without a permit. Standard grill propane cylinders need no permit; the fire code restricts LP-gas grills on some multi-unit balconies.
567 IAC 23.2(3)(e)
Recreational fires. Open fires for cooking, heating, recreation and ceremonies, provided they comply with 23.3(2)"d." Burning rubber tires is prohibited from this activity.
A backyard smoker is a cooking fire, exempt from Iowa's open-burning prohibition under 567 IAC 23.2(3)(e), so no Polk County burn permit is needed to smoke meat at home. Smoke that becomes a persistent nuisance to neighbors can still be abated under the county air-pollution and nuisance rules.
567 IAC 23.2(3)(e)
Recreational fires. Open fires for cooking, heating, recreation and ceremonies, provided they comply with 23.3(2)"d." Burning rubber tires is prohibited from this activity.
1 cities in Polk County have their own outdoor cooking rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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