Land-clearing open burning of cleared vegetation requires registration and an in-person office visit with Forsyth County. It must be at least 500 feet from dwellings, burned only between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., contain no man-made materials, and needs an N.C. Forest Service permit.
Forsyth County defines land-clearing open burning as burning uprooted or cleared vegetation from construction, right-of-way, or residential/commercial/industrial development. Registration and an office visit are required: applicants must complete a site-conditions registration form and meet with the Department to review distances and regulations. Burning must be at least 500 feet from dwellings and occupied structures, permitted only 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with prevailing winds directing smoke away from public roads within 250 feet, and no man-made materials burned. A North Carolina Division of Forest Resources (Forest Service) permit is also required. The county notes this is increasingly difficult to do without violations due to growth.
Non-compliant land-clearing burns incur violations and civil penalties. County EAP and the N.C. Forest Service enforce; penalties escalate for repeated or hazardous burning.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
forsyth-county-nc
Home backyard composting is allowed in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. There is no ordinance requiring or banning it, but a compost pile must not become a nuis...
forsyth-county-nc
Neither Winston-Salem nor Forsyth County has a specific ordinance banning or mandating artificial turf for home lawns. Its use is governed by general zoning,...
forsyth-county-nc
Since 2024 Winston-Salem lets residents replace lawns with registered Natural Landscape Areas of native plants. Turf grass must stay under eight inches, area...
forsyth-county-nc
Collecting rainwater is legal in North Carolina, and no county or city may prohibit cisterns or rain barrels used for irrigation. Forsyth County sets no ban....
forsyth-county-nc
North Carolina has no statewide homeowner watering ban, and there is no permanent year-round schedule in Winston-Salem/Forsyth. Mandatory odd/even watering d...
forsyth-county-nc
Winston-Salem defines 'rank noxious vegetation' over eight inches as a nuisance, including non-native grasses, invasive plants, poisonous plants, and untende...
See how Forsyth County's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.