Monroe County, NY Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Monroe County Sanitary Code § 569-40(B)(1)
- Status
- Permissible open burning
- Covers
- Outdoor grills and fireplaces for food
- Caveat
- Local laws/fire officials may further restrict
Summary
Monroe County's open burning law explicitly permits fires in outdoor grills and fireplaces used to prepare food, exempting backyard cooking fires from the county's general open-burning ban.
When not prohibited by other local laws, ordinances or regulations, or other officials having jurisdiction, the following types of open burning are permissible:
(1) Fires in outdoor grills and outdoor fireplaces for the purpose of preparing food.
(2) Campfires and fires used solely for recreational purposes and when a nuisance is not created. The burning of leaves and lawn and garden debris shall not be considered recreational burning. Local tire marshals and fire chiefs shall be consulted for information on local laws and/or other restrictions.
(3) Burning of tree trimmings, insect-infested or diseased vegetation, material cultivated from created wetlands, animal or vegetable wastes or land-clearing materials consisting of trees, tree trimmings, leaves or brush from on-premises agricultural operations, when burning is controlled and a nuisance is not created. This provision does not apply to the City of Rochester. Local fire marshals and fire chiefs shall be consulted for information on local laws and/or other restrictions.
(4) Open burning of highly explosive or dangerous materials in remote areas for which there is no other practical method of disposal, when nuisance is not created and when conducted by police and fire officials for the purpose of the protection of public safety.
(5)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4802746; v60 updated 2026-02-10; through 02-10-2026).
Full Breakdown
Monroe County's Open Burning Control law (Sanitary Code Article V) bans open burning of refuse countywide, but § 569-40(B)(1) carves out an exception: fires in outdoor grills and outdoor fireplaces built for preparing food are listed as a permissible type of open burning, so long as no other local law or fire official restricts it further.
Violations & Fines
Grill fires used for cooking are lawful under this exception; using an open fire for something other than food preparation, or ignoring a stricter local or fire-official restriction, can still violate § 569-40.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a propane or charcoal grill in Monroe County?
Do local towns add stricter grill rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monroe County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Monroe County to another location·View the New York outdoor cooking overview
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