Cook County, IL Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Cook County, IL, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- No permit required
- for legitimate recreational/campfire use
- Condition
- fire must not cause air pollution
- Geographic scope
- countywide, except City of Chicago
- Fine range
- $300 to $10,000 per day
- Governing section
- Cook County Code § 30-385(b)(4)
Summary
Cook County bans open burning countywide (except Chicago), but exempts legitimate campfire, recreational, and cooling fires from that ban under Sec. 30-385, provided they don't create air pollution or violate a municipality's own rules.
No person shall cause or allow open burning except as provided in Subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this section...The following activities are not in violation of this Section unless they cause air pollution. Nothing in this section shall exempt such activities from applicable local restrictions...The burning of fuels for legitimate campfire, recreational, and cooling purposes, or in domestic fireplaces, in such cases.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 30-385 of the County Code prohibits open burning across Cook County, except within the City of Chicago, unless an activity falls under a listed exception. Subsection (b)(4) exempts "the burning of fuels for legitimate campfire, recreational, and cooling purposes, or in domestic fireplaces" from that ban without requiring a Department permit, so a backyard fire pit or chiminea is allowed. The exemption is conditional: it doesn't apply if the fire causes air pollution, and the section states nothing in it overrides a municipality's own local restrictions, so suburbs can impose tighter rules. Violations of Chapter 30 carry fines of $300 to $10,000 per day under Sec. 30-131.
Violations & Fines
Any open burning that causes air pollution, or that falls outside the listed exceptions without a Department permit, violates Sec. 30-385 and is fined $300-$10,000 per day under Sec. 30-131.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a backyard fire pit in Cook County?
Does this Cook County rule apply inside Chicago?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cook County
How Cook County compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Cook County to another location·View the Illinois fire regulations overview
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