Howard County, MD Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Distance from structure
- At least 15 feet
- Balconies/overhangs
- Not allowed
- Large cookers (over 3ft)
- 15 feet, no call needed
- Fuel-burning
- Treated like grills
- Authority
- Fire Prevention Code Title 17 §104
Summary
Smokers are treated as cooking devices under Howard County fire code. Kept at 3 feet or under, a smoker must stay 15 feet from any building and off balconies. A larger cooker over 3 feet used only for cooking must be at least 15 feet from any structure.
Grills over 3' used exclusively for cooking are only required to be 15' from any structure. Communications does not have to be notified.
Full Breakdown
Howard County does not have a smoker-specific ordinance, but backyard smokers fall under the same outdoor-cooking rules as grills in the Fire Prevention Code (Title 17, Section 104) and County Code Title 12, Section 108. A smoker up to 3 feet in size counts among the grills, hibachis and similar cooking devices that cannot be used on a balcony, under an overhang, or within 15 feet of a building. For larger units, the county provides that grills over 3 feet used exclusively for cooking are only required to be 15 feet from any structure, and Communications does not have to be notified, distinguishing them from recreational open fires that need a phone call before lighting.
Violations & Fines
Operating a smoker too close to a building or on a balcony may result in a citation and/or fine. Do not use a smoker during a declared open-fire ban or winds over 10 MPH.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to use a backyard smoker?
Is a large offset smoker treated like a bonfire?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Howard County
Compare Howard County to another location·View the Maryland outdoor cooking overview
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