Snohomish County, WA Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Charcoal BBQ
- Allowed as cooking fire
- Propane/gas grill
- Appliance under IFC
- Size limit
- 3 ft diameter, 2 ft height
- Fuel
- Charcoal, dried firewood, firelogs
- Air-quality ban
- Charcoal/wood cooking prohibited
Summary
Charcoal barbecues and cooking fires are allowed on private property in unincorporated Snohomish County as recreational fires. Propane and gas grills are ordinary cooking appliances. Cooking fires must stay small, use only charcoal or clean firewood, be attended, and are still restricted during air-quality burn bans.
Recreational fires are defined as cooking fires, charcoal barbecues, campfires, and bonfires using charcoal or bare untreated wood in designated areas or on private property for cooking, pleasure or ceremonial purposes.
Full Breakdown
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency rules define recreational fires to include cooking fires and charcoal barbecues on private property for cooking. A charcoal cooking fire under three feet in diameter and two feet high needs no burn permit; only charcoal, dried firewood, or manufactured firelogs may be burned. Propane and natural-gas grills are handled as appliances under the adopted International Fire Code rather than as open burning. A Stage 1 fire-safety burn ban still permits recreational and cooking fires, but air-quality burn bans prohibit charcoal/wood cooking fires. Always keep the fire attended and never let smoke create a nuisance for neighbors.
Violations & Fines
Illegal fires (banned fuels, oversized, or burning during an air-quality ban) start at fines around $1,000 plus fire-department response reimbursement; nuisance smoke must be extinguished immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my charcoal grill during a burn ban?
Do I need a permit to barbecue?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Snohomish County
Compare Snohomish County to another location·View the Washington outdoor cooking overview
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