St. Louis, MO Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Grills/smokers
- excluded from 'recreational fire' definition
- Recreational fire setback
- 12 feet from any structure
- Recreational fire curfew
- extinguished by 11:00 p.m.
- Recreational fire penalty
- $100–$500 fine or up to 90 days
- Governing chapter
- St. Louis Revised Code 11.110
Summary
St. Louis exempts barbeque grills and smokers from its recreational-fire ordinance, so backyard cooking fires skip the 12-foot setback, attendant, and 11 p.m. curfew rules that apply to open fire pits.
Recreational fire is an outdoor fire, burning fuel other than refuse, leaves, grass, treated wood, building materials, paper, or logs larger than four (4) inches in diameter, where the fuel is not contained in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, portable outdoor fireplace, barbeque grill or barbeque pit, has a total fuel area no more than thirty (30) inches in diameter and eighteen (18) inches in height, used for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth or similar purposes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11).
Full Breakdown
City Code Chapter 11.110 regulates 'recreational fires', open outdoor fires for cooking, warmth, or ceremony, requiring a 12-foot clearance from any structure, a competent attendant at least 16 years old, a four-hour or 11:00 p.m. burn limit, and a ban above 15 mph wind. Section 11.110.010 defines a recreational fire as fuel that is 'not contained in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, portable outdoor fireplace, barbeque grill or barbeque pit.' Because grills and barbeque pits are named exclusions from that definition, a charcoal or gas grill, smoker, or built-in barbeque pit used to cook food falls entirely outside Chapter 11.110's fire-pit restrictions.
Violations & Fines
Violating the recreational-fire rules on location, curfew, attendance, wind, or smoke carries a fine of $100 to $500, up to 90 days imprisonment, or both, but grills and barbeque pits are excluded from this chapter and face no such penalty under it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to use my backyard grill or smoker in St. Louis?
What rules apply instead to an open fire pit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis
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