Fall Leaf Burning & Outdoor Burning Laws by State (2026)

Most Restrictive

1. 1
   Shenandoah, TX

   Shenandoah, Texas bans burning garbage, organic refuse, grass or leaves outside a building at any time under Code of Ordinances § 42-2. Even clearing trees, limbs or roots may only be burned during daylight hours with an attendant present under § 42-3, on top of the state's TCEQ outdoor burning restrictions.

2. 2
   Columbus, OH$1,000 per violation

   Columbus bans burning acceptable or unacceptable waste, including trash, yard debris, recyclables, and bulk refuse, anywhere within city limits, and violations carry a $1,000 civil fine under the Refuse Collection Code.

3. 3
   Gaithersburg, MD

   Gaithersburg City Code Sec. 19-6 makes it unlawful to burn leaves, trash, rubbish, weeds or any other substance in a roadway, gutter or public right-of-way anywhere in the city. It is an outright ban on that specific kind of open burning, enforced as a municipal infraction.

4. 4
   Albuquerque, NM3 ft x 3 ft; larger needs 10-day permit

   Albuquerque Fire Code Section 307.1 prohibits open burning, recreational fires, bonfires, rubbish fires and open-burning operations except as allowed by the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board and the Fire Code. Limited dead-and-dry weed removal is allowed without a permit if it meets strict setback, pile-size, wind, and time-of-day conditions.

5. 5
   Adams County, CO$100 civil infraction per violation

   Open fires, including campfires, are unlawful across every Adams County park, trail and open space area under Resolution 2022-649. Charcoal fires are allowed only in provided picnic grills, propane grills and gas generators are permitted if placed on a protective base, and any fire that endangers people or damages natural resources violates the rule regardless of permission.

6. 6
   Olathe, KS

   Olathe bans open burning of refuse outright citywide, for residential and commercial property alike, with the general code setting no seasonal window or self-issued permit exception.

7. 7
   Lakewood, OH

   Lakewood's Chapter 1503 incorporates Ohio EPA open-burning standards; under OAC 3745-19-03, open burning is prohibited in restricted (urban) areas except for limited recreational and cooking fires.

8. 8
   Cranston, RI

   Cranston bans open fires citywide except barbecue, fireplace or grill cooking kept ten feet from property lines in a noncombustible enclosure, plus fire department training burns.

9. 9
   Sugar Land, TXBan applies outright, unlike recreational fires

   Sugar Land flatly prohibits burning rubbish anywhere in city limits. The Fire Code amendment defines rubbish to include plastic and rubber, so trash, yard-waste bag contents, and demolition debris cannot legally be burned outdoors, permit or no permit.

10. 10
    Green Bay, WIFire Chief may declare citywide ban

    Green Bay bans burning solid waste, trash, and yard waste outdoors citywide under Municipal Code § 32-4(c); only small contained recreational fires meeting strict placement rules are allowed, and the Fire Chief can order a burning ban in dry or windy weather.