Salt Lake City, UT Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Salt Lake City, UT, 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
- Default rule
- No open burning of trash/waste
- No permit needed
- Grills, campfires, indoor fireplaces
- Banned even without permit
- Bonfires, Christmas tree burns
- Permit issuer
- Salt Lake Valley health department
- Default penalty
- Class B misdemeanor, up to $1,000
Summary
Salt Lake City bars burning trash, garbage, or other waste in any open fire unless it fits a listed no-permit exemption or gets a Salt Lake Valley health department permit.
No person shall burn any trash, garbage or other wastes, nor shall conduct any salvage operations, in any open fire except in conformity with the provisions of sections 9.24.150 and 9.24.160 of this chapter, or their successor sections.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 40-26, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
City code bans open burning of trash, garbage, or other wastes, and salvage burning, outside two carve-outs. No permit is needed for grills, controlled campfires, indoor fireplaces, or household waste burning where no disposal service exists (bonfires and Christmas-tree burns stay banned). Everything else, agricultural burning, land-clearing, hazard removal, needs an individual health department permit tied to approved burn-hour windows.
Violations & Fines
Violating the open burning chapter defaults to a class B misdemeanor: up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both, under the city's general penalty section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn yard waste in my backyard in Salt Lake City?
Are backyard bonfires legal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake City
How Salt Lake City compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Salt Lake City to another location·View the Utah fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle outdoor burning.