St. Louis, MO Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

St. Louis enforces the 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) adopted by SLRC Title 25 through the St. Louis Fire Department's Bureau of Fire Prevention. IFC §308.1.4 prohibits charcoal burners, open-flame cooking devices, and other open-flame appliances on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction in any building with three or more dwelling units. LP-gas containers larger than 1 pound (the City typically follows the IFC's 1-lb threshold for multi-family balconies rather than the 2.5-lb threshold used by some West Coast jurisdictions) are also restricted in multi-family settings. Exceptions: one- and two-family dwellings are exempt; balconies served by an automatic fire-suppression system are exempt; listed electric grills are exempt. For single-family detached homes, backyard grilling is generally permitted without city-level restriction. Open burning of trash, yard waste, leaves, and construction debris is separately prohibited citywide by SLRC Ch. 11.66 and by Missouri Department of Natural Resources rules (10 CSR 10-6); residential cooking fires using charcoal, wood, or gas as fuel for food preparation are exempt from the open-burning ban. The St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District also coordinates regional air-quality compliance.