Chicago, IL Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Chicago, IL, 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
- Citation
- MCC § 11-4-740
- Prohibited materials
- paper, wood, garbage, leaves, debris
- Enforced by
- Chief Sustainability Officer
- Fine range
- $1,000–$5,000 per day
- State rule adopted
- 35 Ill. Admin. Code Part 237.120
Summary
Chicago bans burning paper, wood, garbage, leaves, construction debris, or other combustible material in open fires or metal containers, enforced under the city's environmental protection ordinance with fines up to $5,000 per day.
It shall be unlawful to burn paper, wood, garbage, leaves, building construction, demolition debris or any other combustible material in open fires or in metal containers. The commissioner shall implement the rules and regulations set forth in Part 237.120 of 35 Illinois Administrative Code, Open Burning, as promulgated by the State of Illinois Pollution Control Board and subject to amendment from time to time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-74: Current through Council Journal of June 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Chicago's Municipal Code makes it unlawful to burn paper, wood, garbage, leaves, building construction or demolition debris, or any other combustible material in open fires or in metal containers anywhere in the city, under MCC § 11-4-740 of the Chicago Environmental Protection and Control Ordinance. The chapter is enforced by the Chief Sustainability Officer, who also implements the state's open-burning rules under Part 237.120 of the Illinois Administrative Code. The text carves out no backyard-fire-pit or trash-barrel exception: the ban covers combustible material broadly, not just yard waste. Violations fall under the chapter's general penalty clause.
Violations & Fines
Violates MCC § 11-4-810(a)(7): fines of $1,000 to $5,000 per offense, with each day of continued burning counted as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a backyard fire pit in Chicago?
What state rule does Chicago's burn ban reference?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chicago
How Chicago compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Chicago to another location·View the Illinois fire regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle outdoor burning.