San Antonio, TX Special Events & Permits: Outdoor Heater Rules (2026)

Sec. 11-40 of the San Antonio Code of Ordinances amends the adopted 2024 International Fire Code by adding Section 105.5.60, Portable outdoor gas-fired heating appliances, which states plainly that "an operational permit is required for the operation and maintenance of a portable outdoor gas-fired heating appliance," and directs applicants to the newly added Section 324 for the operating rules themselves.

Section 324.1 spells out three requirements: it is unlawful to operate a portable outdoor gas-fired heating appliance without the Section 105.5.60 permit; the appliance must comply with Section 605.5 of the Fire Code, the general standard for LP-gas and natural gas-fired appliances; and wherever these heaters are used, a 2A:10BC-rated fire extinguisher installed under NFPA 10 and Section 906 must be provided for every 3,000 square feet of heated area, positioned so that no point is more than 75 feet of travel distance from an extinguisher.

The permit is issued through the Fire Marshal's office as part of the Chapter 11 operational permit system, the same track used for other seasonal and event permits like bonfire and fireworks permits listed in Sec. 11-16's fee schedule. Because the rule is built into Section 105.5 of the operational permits article, it applies whether the heaters are set up for a single backyard party, a restaurant patio, or a temporary festival footprint, anywhere portable gas-fired heat is used outdoors rather than as part of a fixed building system.