Linn County, IA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Linn County, IA, 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
- Air pollution control officer
- Permit term
- One year
- Burn hours
- Half-hour after sunrise to half-hour before sunset
- Fee
- Set by county board of supervisors
- Attendance
- Fire must be constantly attended
Summary
Unincorporated Linn County bans open burning of combustible materials unless the fire type is listed and a permit is obtained from the air pollution control officer, with narrow permit-free exemptions.
No person shall allow, cause or permit open burning of combustible materials, except as follows: Open burning of the following types may be allowed provided a valid open burning permit is obtained... Open burning permits shall be issued under the direction of the air pollution control officer.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
County Code § 10-63 prohibits open burning of combustible materials in unincorporated Linn County except for listed categories, dangerous materials, training fires, agricultural structures, disaster rubbish, flare stacks, landscape waste, ceremonial fires and a few others, each requiring a permit from the air pollution control officer. Permits run one year, the fee is set by the county board of supervisors, burning is restricted to one-half hour after sunrise until one-half hour before sunset, and every fire must be attended by the permit holder. A handful of small-scale fires, like cooking fires and campfires, are exempt from the permit requirement.
Violations & Fines
Any fire that violates § 10-63 may be ordered extinguished by an agency the air pollution control officer designates, who may also separately pursue the penalties set out elsewhere in this article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to burn brush in unincorporated Linn County?
What hours can I burn under a Linn County open burning permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Linn County
How Linn County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Linn County to another location·View the Iowa fire regulations overview
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