Paulding County, GA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Section 58-143(a)-(b) of the Fire Prevention chapter bars outdoor burning during any burning ban the Georgia Environmental Protection Division imposes for the county, which the Code notes "is typically from May 1 through September 30." This local rule sits on top of, not instead of, state law: O.C.G.A. § 12-6-90 and Georgia Forestry Commission permitting requirements apply independently, and the Code specifies that compliance with the county section "is separate and distinct from any state law requirements regulating outdoor burning."

Outside the seasonal ban, most residential outdoor burns still carry a full checklist under § 58-143(c). Before burning, and on each day of the burn, the person must call the automated outdoor-burn registration system at 770-505-2876 and listen to the entire recording. An adult must attend the fire at all times, and a garden hose, water supply or extinguisher must be on hand. Hand-piled material is capped at eight feet by eight feet by eight feet, only natural material such as leaves and tree limbs may be burned, with no garbage, tires or plastics, and machine-piled burns require separate notice to the Georgia Forestry Commission through the county forest ranger. Burning is flatly prohibited whenever wind speeds or gusts exceed 10 miles per hour, all fires must be extinguished a full hour before dark, and any burn producing smoke that endangers people or damages nearby property or vehicles is barred outright, even if it otherwise complied with the size rules.

Section 58-143(f) gives the fire chief standing authority to prohibit any or all outdoor fires whenever atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make burning hazardous, layering a discretionary shutoff on top of the fixed rules, and land-clearing or agricultural burns require a separate permit from the Georgia Forestry Commission under § 58-143(g)-(h). The county's fee schedule sets the outdoor burn registration at $25.00 under its Development Regulations.