Georgetown, TX Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Georgetown, TX, 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
- Permit issuer
- Georgetown Fire Marshal's office
- Controlled-burn permit term
- Up to 365 days
- Prescribed-burn permit term
- 30 days
- Wind limit for burning
- 6-23 mph surface wind
- Permit revocation period
- Up to 24 months
Summary
Georgetown requires an operational burn permit from the Fire Marshal's office before any open fire on public or private ground, per Fire Code Sec. 307.2. Controlled burns run up to 365 days, prescribed burns 30 days, and burning also needs TCEQ authorization and can be shut down anytime it turns hazardous.
307.2 Permit required. An operational permit is required in accordance with Section 105.5 prior to kindling or maintaining of an open fire or a fire on any public street, alley, road, or other public or private ground. With the exception of commercial burn permits, applications for permits shall only be presented by and permits issued to the owner of the land on which the fire is to be kindled. The permit shall be kept on site and readily available for view upon request at all times when burning. A permit shall be obtained from the City of Georgetown fire marshal's office at www.fire.georgetown.org prior to kindling a fire for the following:1.Controlled burn. A controlled bum requires an operational burn permit. Residential controlled burn permits shall be valid for the period indicated on the approved permit and shall not be valid for longer than 365 days from issuance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 15).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 2 to require an operational permit before kindling or maintaining an open fire on any public street, alley, road, or private ground in Georgetown. Except for commercial burns, only the landowner may apply for and hold the permit, and it must stay on site and available for inspection while burning is underway. The Fire Marshal's office issues four permit types: a residential controlled-burn permit valid up to 365 days from issuance; a bonfire permit valid per event, which must also meet the separate bonfire standard in Sec.
1; a prescribed-burn permit valid 30 days, limited to the City's fire response district; and a commercial burn permit valid 30 days, requiring a site approval visit and issued in the responsible company's name. Sec. 170 layers on a second approval requirement: open burning also needs prior authorization from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the City can revoke a permit and refuse to reissue one to the same person or entity for up to 24 months for failing to follow the authorization's conditions.
Sec. 180 adds weather limits: burning can only happen when wind and other conditions won't push smoke onto a public road, waterway, landing strip, or nearby structure, and surface wind speed must stay between 6 and 23 miles per hour during the burn. Sec. 200 lets the fire code official order any burn extinguished immediately if it becomes hazardous or lacks a required permit, regardless of how much of the permitted burn period remains.
Violations & Fines
Burning without the required permit, exceeding the permitted duration, or ignoring a fire official's extinguishment order under Secs. 8.04.160-8.04.200 is enforced by the Fire Marshal's office and punishable under Sec. 1.08.010's general penalty, up to a $2,000 fine as a safety violation, and the City may also revoke a violator's burn-permit privileges for up to 24 months under Sec. 8.04.170.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to burn brush in my yard in Georgetown?
Does Georgetown need state approval for open burning too?
Can the Fire Marshal stop my permitted burn?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Georgetown
How Georgetown compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Texas rules heatmap·Compare Georgetown to another location·View the Texas fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Williamson County handle outdoor burning.