San Antonio, TX Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in San Antonio, TX, 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
- Burning solid waste is unlawful citywide
- Exception
- Requires prior TCEQ and fire department approval
- First-offense fine
- $100 to $2,000 per Sec. 14-45(a)
- Repeat offense fine floor
- $200 second, $300 third and later
- Each day
- Counted as a separate offense
- Governing section
- San Antonio Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-46
Summary
San Antonio Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-46 makes it unlawful to burn solid waste on any premises in the city unless both the TCEQ and the fire department have approved it first. Violations fall under the general prohibitions in Sec. 14-45, which carries fines from $100 up to $2,000 per offense, rising for repeat convictions.
It shall be unlawful for any owner, manager, tenant, and/or occupant of any dwelling unit, building, and/or premises to burn solid waste on any premise within the city, unless approval has been granted by the TCEQ and the fire department. ... any person, firm, corporation or agent or employee thereof who violates any of the provisions of section 14-46 and 14-47 shall be fined an amount not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) and not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000.00). However, in the event a defendant has once previously been convicted under this article, the defendant shall be fined an amount no less than two hundred dollars ($200.00) and shall be fined no less than three hundred dollars ($300.00) for a third conviction and for each conviction thereafter.
Full Breakdown
Section 14-46 flatly prohibits burning solid waste anywhere within San Antonio's city limits: any owner, manager, tenant or occupant who sets fire to solid waste on a premises is breaking the law unless the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the San Antonio Fire Department have both signed off on the burn in advance. The ban is enforced through the general prohibitions and penalties in Sec. 14-45(a): each day a violation continues is a separate offense, and a conviction carries a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $2,000.
A second conviction under this article raises the floor to at least $200, and a third or later conviction raises it to at least $300, with any fine over $500 requiring the court to find the violation was committed knowingly, intentionally or recklessly. Enforcement authority is shared: Sec. 14-60 lets the solid waste management, public works, code enforcement and Metropolitan Health District directors designate staff to issue notices of violation, working with the city attorney, municipal courts, police department and TCEQ. Because burning is separately regulated by the state's outdoor burning rules and by any county-level burn ban, San Antonio residents can face restrictions layered from more than one authority at once, on top of the flat city-level ban in Sec. 14-46.
Violations & Fines
Burning solid waste without prior TCEQ and fire department approval is punishable under Sec. 14-45(a): a fine of $100 to $2,000 for a first conviction, at least $200 for a second, and at least $300 for a third or later conviction, with each day of ongoing burning charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn brush or trash in my San Antonio backyard?
What's the penalty for illegal burning in San Antonio?
Who enforces the burn ban in San Antonio?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Antonio
How San Antonio compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Texas rules heatmap·Compare San Antonio to another location·View the Texas fire regulations overview
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