Tuscaloosa, AL Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Tuscaloosa, AL, 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
- Governing section
- Sec. 11-28(b)(1)
- Default rule
- Permit required for any open fire citywide
- No-permit exceptions
- Cooking, worker heaters, recreational fires
- Permitted-burn setback
- 500 feet from occupied dwellings
- Permitted-burn hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Revocation authority
- Fire chief or designee, Sec. 11-28(c)
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 6 months jail
Summary
Tuscaloosa bans open burning citywide unless the fire is covered by a permit or falls under one of three listed exceptions: Sec. 11-28(b)(1) makes it unlawful to kindle or maintain any open fire, anywhere in the city or its police jurisdiction, without a city permit.
(a)Purpose. This section is enacted to protect, preserve, and promote the health, safety, welfare, and peace for the citizens of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, through the control of open burning. ... (b)Open burning standards.(1)No person shall kindle or maintain any open fire at any location or time within the city and its police jurisdiction without a permit from the city, except for the following purposes: ... (c)Revocation of burning permits. The city fire chief or his designee may revoke a burning permit issued by the city any time after it is issued if the open burning creates a danger or serious nuisance for individuals or their property and when the weather conditions warrant concern for possible uncontrolled spread of the fire.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 102).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 11-28 sets Tuscaloosa's open-burning framework. Subsection (a) states the purpose is to control open burning 'so that it will comply with all applicable state regulations and will not be detrimental to individuals and the community in the enjoyment of life, property, and conduct of business,' while making clear it does not supersede state open-burning law. The operative prohibition, subsection (b)(1), is broad: 'No person shall kindle or maintain any open fire at any location or time within the city and its police jurisdiction without a permit from the city,' except for cooking fires, workers' salamander heaters, and recreational or ceremonial fires.
, requires the fire be attended with extinguishing equipment on hand, and bars burning during a National Weather Service air-stagnation advisory, a governor-declared drought emergency, or a city 'no burn' advisory. Even after a permit issues, subsection (c) lets the fire chief or a designee revoke it at any time the burning creates a danger or serious nuisance, or when weather conditions raise concern about the fire spreading out of control. cutoff during a declared emergency or disaster if state law allows it, but that flexibility runs only to those who can show compliance with state burning rules.
Violations & Fines
Kindling or maintaining an open fire without a permit, burning prohibited materials such as paper, rubber, plastics or garbage, or continuing to burn after the fire chief revokes a permit under Sec. 11-28(c) is an unlawful open burn, prosecuted as a misdemeanor under the city's general penalty section, Sec. 1-8: a fine up to $500.00, up to six months of imprisonment or hard labor, or both, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn debris in my yard in Tuscaloosa without a permit?
What are the rules for a permitted open burn?
Can the city shut down my burn permit after it's issued?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tuscaloosa
How Tuscaloosa compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Tuscaloosa to another location·View the Alabama fire regulations overview
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