San Diego, CA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

San Diego does not have a smoker-specific ordinance. Wood smokers, pellet grills, offset smokers, and wood-fired pizza ovens are legal on residential property. Operation must comply with CFC § 307 (open burning) and § 308 (clearance) requirements adopted in SDMC Chapter 9, which require commercially manufactured devices to be located a safe distance from combustible structures. The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) Rule 50 prohibits visible emissions denser than 40% opacity for more than 3 minutes in any hour from any source — heavy smoke from a residential smoker can theoretically be cited but enforcement against backyard cooking is rare. In Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones designated under California Government Code § 51177, smoker use during Red Flag Warnings may be restricted by the Fire-Rescue Department through emergency orders. Multi-family residences are subject to the same CFC § 308 balcony restrictions as charcoal grills — wood/pellet smokers cannot be operated on combustible balconies within 10 feet of combustible construction. HOAs commonly impose stricter rules; California Civil Code § 4750 limits some HOA bans but smokers are not specifically protected.