Olmsted County, MN Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Olmsted County, MN, 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
- Burning solid waste banned countywide
- Only exception
- Agricultural Sites under Minn. Stat. § 17.135
- Never exempt
- Tires, plastics, appliances, batteries, motor oil
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine and/or 90 days jail
- Each day
- Counts as a separate offense
- Buried debris
- Affidavit recorded within 90 days
- Enforcement
- County Attorney and Environmental Resources Dept.
Summary
Olmsted County bans burning solid waste anywhere in the county under Chapter 3500, Section 3508.07. The only exception is for residents of Agricultural Sites disposing of their own farm or household waste under Minnesota Statutes Section 17.135, and even that exemption excludes tires, plastics, appliances, batteries and motor oil. Everyone else must haul waste to a licensed facility.
3508.07 Prohibitions
Solid Waste Burning
Burning of Solid Waste is prohibited by this Ordinance, except as allowed on Agricultural Sites by the residents of the Agricultural Site as per Minnesota Statutes, Section 17.135... The exemption in paragraph (a), clause (1), does not apply to burning tires or plastics, except plastic baling twine, or to burning or burial of the following materials: (1) household Hazardous Waste as defined in section 115A.96, subdivision 1; (2) appliances, including but not limited to, major appliances as defined in section 115A.03, subdivision 17a; (3) household batteries; (4) used motor oil; and (5) lead-acid batteries from motor vehicles.
Full Breakdown
07's Prohibitions clause is direct: burning of Solid Waste is prohibited by the Ordinance except as allowed on Agricultural Sites under Minn. Stat. 135. That statute lets a farm owner bury, or burn and bury, household or farming-operation solid waste and certain construction concrete or rebar without a state permit, but only if done in a "nuisance-free, pollution-free, and aesthetic manner," and the exception disappears if regularly scheduled pickup is reasonably available at the farm, as determined by County Board resolution. The exemption never covers tires, plastics (other than plastic baling twine), household hazardous waste, major appliances, household batteries, used motor oil or lead-acid vehicle batteries; those materials cannot legally be burned or buried on a farm under any circumstance.
A landowner who buries concrete or rebar under the exemption must record an affidavit with the County Recorder within 90 days, describing the property and mapping the burial location, so the burial shows up in any later title search. Outside that narrow farm exception, burning trash in a barrel, pit or brush pile anywhere in Olmsted County is a straight violation of Chapter 3500, not a permit-and-pay situation.
Violations & Fines
Section 3511.01 lets the Environmental Resources Department and County Attorney pursue burning violations as a criminal matter, a civil Notice of Violation under the Chapter 4000 Administrative Enforcement and Appeals Ordinance, or a civil claim in court. A criminal conviction is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to 90 days in jail, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. The County can also seek injunctive relief, cost recovery for cleanup, and civil penalties on top of any fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn trash in my yard in Olmsted County?
Is there any exception for farms?
What can never be burned, even on a qualifying farm?
What happens if I get caught illegally burning waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Olmsted County
How Olmsted County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Olmsted County to another location·View the Minnesota fire regulations overview
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