Little Rock, AR Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit needed for cooking fires
- None: exempt under Sec. 12-7
- Covered
- Barbecues, smokers, outdoor fireplaces
- Non-cooking open burning
- Requires fire department permit
- Max fine for unpermitted burning
- $1,000 (Sec. 1-9)
- Enforcing agency
- Little Rock Fire Department
Summary
Little Rock exempts fires used for cooking food, including barbecues, smokers, and outdoor fireplaces, from the city's open burning permit requirement, so backyard grilling and smoking need no fire department authorization.
Open burning means the burning of any matter in such a manner that the products of combustion resulting from the burning are emitted directly into the ambient air without passing through an adequate stack, duct, or chimney. No open burning permit is required for fires used for cooking of food, including barbecues and outdoor fireplaces.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 83).
Full Breakdown
Little Rock's fire code (Sec. 12-7) defines open burning as burning that sends combustion products straight into the air without passing through a stack, duct, or chimney, and that would normally require a fire department permit under Sec. 12-8. The code carves out cooking fires by name: barbecues, smokers, and outdoor fireplaces used to cook food need no open burning permit. The exemption covers only actual food-cooking fires, bonfires, brush piles, and other open burning still need a permit from the fire department under Sec. 12-8.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 12-7 itself carries no penalty since cooking fires are exempt; burning anything else without a permit violates Sec. 12-8 and carries the Code's general fine of up to $1,000 (Sec. 1-9).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to use a smoker or barbecue in my backyard in Little Rock?
What open-air fires DO need a permit in Little Rock?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Little Rock
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