Plymouth, MN Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies at
- Locations designated under Fire Code Appendix O
- Charcoal devices
- Not allowed
- Electrical devices
- Allowed only with protected outdoor outlet
- "Barbecue" defined to include
- Cookers, rotisseries, roasters, smokers, ovens
- Gas/propane grills
- Not separately addressed in the Section
Summary
In the City of Plymouth, at locations designated under Appendix O of the Minnesota State Fire Code, typically balconies and patios on multifamily buildings, charcoal grills using briquettes are banned outright, while electrical cooking devices are allowed only if plugged into a protected outdoor electrical outlet. The City's own code does not separately address gas or propane grills at these locations.
Devices using charcoal briquettes are not allowed. ... Electrical cooking devices are allowed with a protected outdoor electrical outlet. ... A."Barbecues" means any cooking device, rotisserie, roaster, smoker, oven or similar equipment used in food preparation.
Full Breakdown
01. Subdivision 1 flatly bans charcoal cooking devices: any device using charcoal briquettes is not allowed at these locations. Subdivision 2 takes the opposite approach for electric equipment, allowing electrical cooking devices as long as they draw power from a protected outdoor electrical outlet rather than an ordinary interior extension cord run outside. Subdivision 3 defines the Section's scope broadly: a 'barbecue' covers any cooking device, rotisserie, roaster, smoker, oven, or similar equipment used in food preparation, and 'open flame' reaches any burning of fuel, including a torch, flare, decorative light, candle, fondue pot, or any other heating, burning, or lighting device with an open flame.
The Section is silent on gas or propane grills specifically; it neither names them among the banned charcoal devices nor lists them alongside the permitted electrical devices, so a resident weighing a propane grill for a balcony or patio at a designated Appendix O location should confirm treatment with the Fire Department rather than assume it falls on either side of this Section's two named categories.
Violations & Fines
Section 905.15 sits within the adopted Minnesota State Fire Code enforcement structure created by Section 905.01, so using a banned charcoal device, or an electrical device without a protected outdoor outlet, at a location designated under Appendix O is a fire code violation the City can act on through its standard fire code enforcement and inspection authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a charcoal grill on my Plymouth apartment balcony?
What kind of grill or cooking device is allowed on a balcony in Plymouth?
Does Plymouth's balcony cooking rule cover candles and torches too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Plymouth
Compare Plymouth to another location·View the Minnesota outdoor cooking overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.