Davidson County, NC Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Davidson County, NC, 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
- Rule
- Open burning of solid waste banned
- No exception
- Subsection allows no permit
- Open dumps
- Must close immediately, state rule
- First offense
- $75 civil penalty
- Enforced by
- Solid Waste Enforcement Officers
Summary
Davidson County makes it unlawful to openly burn solid waste anywhere in the unincorporated county. Section 50.03(P) bans the practice outright with no permit exception, and anyone who has run or owns land with an open dump has to close it immediately under state rule 15A NCAC 13B § .0502.
(P) Open burning of solid waste is prohibited. (Q) A person operating or having operated an open dump for disposal of solid waste or a person who owns land on which an open dump is or has been operating shall immediately close the site in accordance with 15A NCAC 13B § .0502.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2024 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance passed 4-22-2024; and State legislation through 2023 North Carolina Legislative Service, Pamphlet No. 6).
Full Breakdown
03(P) of the Davidson County Code of Ordinances states plainly that open burning of solid waste is prohibited, with no on-site permit or waiver built into the subsection. 01, as any fire wherein the products of combustion are emitted directly into the outdoor atmosphere and are not directed through a stack, chimney, incinerator, or similar device, so the ban reaches trash fires, burn barrels, and open pits used to dispose of garbage rather than fireplaces or approved incinerators. 03, which lists the only lawful disposal outlets for solid waste: an approved landfill, a permitted incinerator, an approved recycling or resource-recovery method, or a county boxsite.
0502. This provision governs disposal of solid waste specifically; it does not itself regulate agricultural burning, yard-debris burning, or campfires, which fall under separate North Carolina Division of Air Quality open-burning rules and permits administered outside this chapter. 99, in addition to any state air-quality enforcement that may apply to the same fire.
Violations & Fines
Burning solid waste in the open, in a burn barrel, pit, or pile, violates §50.03(P) and triggers the civil-penalty schedule in §50.99: $75 for a first offense, $200 for a second, $300 for a third, and up to $500 for a flagrant or willful violation. Anyone who has operated an open dump must close it immediately under §50.03(Q) and 15A NCAC 13B § .0502.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn my household trash in a burn barrel in Davidson County?
Does this ban cover burning yard debris or leaves?
What if I've been running an open dump on my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Davidson County
How Davidson County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Davidson County to another location·View the North Carolina fire regulations overview
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