Outdoor burning rules in San Joaquin County, CA — also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance — set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Open burning in San Joaquin County is subject to SJVAPCD rules. Most residential open burning is prohibited. Agricultural burning is under a near-total ban (effective January 1, 2025) under SB 705. CAL FIRE burn permits are required for any allowed burning.
San Joaquin County falls within the SJVAPCD air quality jurisdiction. SJVAPCD Rule 4106 restricts hazard reduction burning to the State Responsibility Area (which excludes most valley-floor unincorporated areas). Near-total agricultural burning ban took full effect January 1, 2025, under California SB 705 — virtually all open burning on San Joaquin Valley farms and vineyards is now prohibited, with narrow exceptions for disease control, weed abatement, and irrigation ditch clearing on approved burn days. Residential open burning of landscape debris (branches, leaves, yard waste) in State Responsibility Areas requires a CAL FIRE burn permit at burnpermit.fire.ca.gov. CAL FIRE has suspended residential burn permits in eastern San Joaquin County during high fire danger periods.
Unauthorized open burning: SJVAPCD civil penalty up to $1,000/day. CAL FIRE violation: misdemeanor and fines.
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See how San Joaquin County's outdoor burning rules stack up against other locations.
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