Nassau County, FL Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Nassau County, FL, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Exempt item
- Outdoor BBQ/fire pits, Section 105.2 item 17
- Carve-back
- Gas or electric hookup still needs a trade permit
- Legal limit
- Exemption doesn't waive other ordinances
- Enforcing agency
- Nassau County Building Department
Summary
A backyard fire pit or outdoor BBQ doesn't need a Nassau County building permit. Florida Building Code Section 105.2's exemption list, adopted by County Code Section 7-6, names 'outdoor BBQ/Fire pits' among the work exempt from permitting, though any gas or electric hookup feeding the fixture still needs its own trade permit.
105.2 Work exempt from permit. Exemptions from permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction, to include work in any special flood hazard area. ... Permits shall not be required for the following: Building: ... 17.Yard fountains, concrete statuary, outdoor BBQ/Fire pits, except for gas and/or electric permit, where applicable.
Full Breakdown
Section 105.2's exemption list is organized by trade under a general caution: exempting a category of work 'shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction, to include work in any special flood hazard area.' Within the Building exemptions, item 17 groups 'outdoor BBQ/Fire pits' with yard fountains and concrete statuary as work that needs no building permit, but it carries its own parenthetical carve-back: 'except for gas and/or electric permit, where applicable.' That means installing a gas line to feed a fire pit still falls under the Gas trade permit requirements referenced at Section 101.4.1 (Florida Building Code, Fuel Gas), and any wiring for ignition or lighting falls under the electrical permit rules at Section 101.4.10, both of which route back through the general Section 105.1 permit application to the building official. So the fire pit or grill structure itself is unregulated, but the utility connection to it is not.
Violations & Fines
Because the fire pit itself needs no building permit, there is no building-code citation for constructing one within the exemption's scope. But installing gas or electric service to it without the required trade permit still triggers Section 105.1's increased permit fee once discovered, and the exemption's own language confirms it never waives compliance with other county ordinances, including any separate open-burning or Fire Rescue restriction that might otherwise apply to how the pit is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a fire pit in my backyard?
What if my fire pit runs on natural gas?
Does the exemption mean any fire pit setup is automatically legal?
Which department decides if my fire pit needs a trade permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nassau County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Nassau County to another location·View the Florida fire regulations overview
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