Owensboro, KY Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Owensboro Municipal Code § 10-7(e)
- Trigger
- Barbecue pit fire larger than 3 ft. by 2 ft.
- Who to notify
- Owensboro-Daviess County Central Dispatch
- When
- Before starting the fire, via non-emergency line
- Info required
- Location plus a present contact's name/mobile number
Summary
In the City of Owensboro, an open barbecue pit fire larger than the 3-by-2-foot recreational fire limit, and that has no separate fire chief's permit, must be phoned in to Owensboro-Daviess County Central Dispatch before it's lit, giving the location and a contact person, under § 10-7(e).
(e)Open barbecue pit fire notification. Any person or organization using an open barbecue pit in which the fire will be larger than a recreational fire, as described in subsection (d), and that has not otherwise been issued a permit, shall notify Owensboro—Daviess County Central Dispatch via its non-emergency phone number prior to starting the fire, and provide the following:(1)Location of the open barbecue fire; and(2)The name and mobile telephone number of an individual that will be present at the time the fire is ignited and who can be contacted by the city fire department.
Full Breakdown
Owensboro Municipal Code § 10-7(e) covers open barbecue pit fires that exceed the small recreational-fire size defined in § 10-7(d): a fuel area no larger than three feet in diameter and two feet high. Any person or organization planning to use an open barbecue pit bigger than that, and who hasn't otherwise been issued a fire permit, must notify Owensboro-Daviess County Central Dispatch through its non-emergency phone number before starting the fire. The notification must include the location of the open barbecue fire and the name and mobile telephone number of an individual who will be present when the fire is lit and who can be reached by the city fire department.
This notice requirement functions as a lighter-touch alternative to the permit process in § 10-7(a)-(c): rather than obtaining a fire chief's permit in advance for a large cookout fire, the host can instead call it in to dispatch so the fire department knows where an open flame is burning and who to contact if a call comes in. The rule sits alongside the general open-fire permit requirement and the recreational-fire exemption, giving Owensboro three tiers for outdoor cooking fires: small contained fires need nothing extra, larger open barbecue pits need a dispatch call, and any other open fire needs the fire chief's permit.
Violations & Fines
Failing to notify Central Dispatch before lighting a large open barbecue pit fire, or otherwise operating outside § 10-7(d)'s recreational-fire exemption without a fire chief's permit, is enforced under the fire code's general provisions in Chapter 10, Article I, exposing the operator to citation and the penalties tied to unpermitted open burning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to call anyone before a big barbecue pit fire in Owensboro?
What information does the dispatch call need to include?
Does a small charcoal grill need this notification?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Owensboro
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