Sioux Falls, SD Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

South Dakota's State Fire Marshal (Office of the State Fire Marshal, Department of Public Safety) adopts the National Fire Protection Association NFPA 1 Fire Code (2018 edition) and references the 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) under SDCL Chapter 34-29B (Fire Marshal). Sioux Falls Fire Rescue enforces these provisions within the city under Sioux Falls Code Chapter 91 (Fire Prevention). Key rules for residential grilling: (1) IFC §308.1.4 (carried into NFPA 1 §10.11) prohibits open-flame cooking devices on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction at apartment buildings and condominiums — this covers charcoal grills, wood-pellet grills, and LP-gas grills with cylinders over 1 pound; (2) exceptions: one- and two-family dwellings are exempt, buildings protected throughout by automatic sprinklers may permit grilling on balconies, and electric grills are not restricted; (3) IFC §6104.2 limits residential LP-gas cylinder storage to 20 pounds (5 gallons) per cylinder, with no more than two cylinders per dwelling unit at exterior storage locations; (4) propane cylinders must not be stored indoors or in basements (NFPA 58 LP-Gas Code); (5) LP cylinders must be kept upright and protected from vehicle impact. For one- and two-family homes (the bulk of Sioux Falls residential), grilling on decks, patios, and in backyards is permitted without distance restriction, subject to common-law nuisance and smoke complaints under Code Chapter 93. Apartment dwellers in Sioux Falls (significant inventory along 41st Street, downtown core, and southeast neighborhoods) are bound by the 10-foot rule and many property managers prohibit grills entirely on balconies due to insurance carrier requirements. Public parks: charcoal grills are permitted only in designated grill areas in Sioux Falls Parks per Code Chapter 96 (Parks and Recreation).