Monterey County, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Monterey County, CA, also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance, set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- MCC § 10.41.050
- Allowed to burn
- Green waste only, per other agency's rules
- Not allowed
- Garbage, rubbish, odor-producing waste
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Monterey County only
- Default penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine / 6 months jail
Summary
Monterey County Code § 10.41.050 lets you burn only green waste, and only if the burn follows whatever rules the governmental agency with jurisdiction over that burning, such as a fire authority or air district, sets. Garbage, rubbish, and other offensive odor-producing solid waste cannot be burned under this section at all.
The burning of green waste, other than garbage and rubbish and other offensive odor-producing solid waste, may be done only in accordance with the appropriate requirements of any governmental agency having jurisdiction.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
010(D)). 010(Y)). 050 draws the line squarely between them: green waste may be burned, but only in accordance with the requirements of whatever governmental agency actually has jurisdiction over that burn, meaning the County ordinance does not itself grant a burn permit; compliance is routed through the separate approving authority. Garbage, rubbish, and other odor-producing waste sit outside that narrow allowance entirely. 040(B) separately makes it unlawful to transport refuse in any container that has been used for burning, closing off a workaround where burned debris gets hauled off-site in the same bin.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 10.41 does not set its own fine schedule for § 10.41.050 the way it does for littering under § 10.41.040(D). An unlawful burn of garbage, rubbish, or unapproved green waste instead falls under the County Code's general default penalty, § 1.20.040: a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both, unless charged as an infraction, which runs $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second within a year, and $1,000 for a third.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn yard waste on my property in unincorporated Monterey County?
Can I burn household garbage or trash?
Does the county issue burn permits directly?
What happens if I burn refuse illegally?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey County
How Monterey County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey County to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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