Outdoor Cooking in California (2026)

Bringing your own grill, barbeque or other cooking device to Constitution Park, Dizdar Park, the exterior of the…

Berkeley bars storing an LP-gas cylinder bigger than 2.5 pounds water capacity, which covers a standard 20-pound…

A backyard barbeque pit, outdoor fireplace or grill in Escondido can project into a required yard setback, but only…

Hawthorne prohibits setting up or operating a propane barbecue device to cook food anywhere in a city park. The only…

Lakewood bans portable barbecues, grills, smokers, fire pits and hibachis in every city park and recreational area…

Madera County bans charcoal grills outright at every short-term rental in the unincorporated county and requires all…

Portable barbecues and camp stoves are barred everywhere in Marin County parks except spots the Department of Parks and…

Redwood City requires a Temporary Exclusive Use Permit before anyone brings a portable BBQ into a city park, and even…

Turlock's Fire Code bars any liquefied petroleum gas storage inside or near hotels, motels, apartment houses and…

Alameda's zoning code treats a built-in barbecue grill like a mini accessory structure: it may sit inside the required…

Buena Park requires fixed outdoor barbecues and fire pits to sit at least 20 feet from the front property line, 5 feet…

Ceres exempts small propane cylinders, up to five gallons water capacity, from a Fire Department LP-gas permit when…

Chico parks restrict fires and grills to designated masonry or metal fireplaces, pits, or grills: charcoal briquettes…

Downey Municipal Code Section 3311(D) bars anyone from installing, erecting, placing, maintaining, or using a permanent…

Fremont bans stand-alone generators and BBQ grills on nonmotorized mobile vending carts outright, and imposes tight…

At its four designated camping parks, Huntington Beach confines barbecues and campfires to City-provided fire rings or…

Inglewood's Municipal Code bars permanent barbecue grills from any yard that separates a house from the street unless…

Stationary barbecues and fire pits at Mission Viejo homes are regulated as setback structures, not as fire hazards: the…

Modesto's Fire Code amendment to the LP-gas permit rule exempts residential barbecue propane containers from a permit…

Monterey bars any barbecue, stove, lantern, generator or other fuel-burning device on Municipal Wharves No. 1 and No. 2…

Personal barbecues in Moorpark's parks must run on propane, capped at a 40-pound cylinder, with UL-listed hoses and…

Mountain View's Fire Code bans charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices on combustible balconies and…

A stationary barbecue, fire pit or propane tank counts as a residential accessory structure under Section 16.44.150…

Newport Beach allows a freestanding gas barbecue or fireplace to sit inside a required setback, but caps height at 42…

Oakland's Fire Code amendments keep open flames, including barbecues, fire pits, gas heaters, and candles, at least 10…

Open fires are banned on Oceanside Beach except in a city fire ring, but Section 19.2 exempts a 'BBQ, hibachi, stove or…

Short-term rentals in unincorporated Placer County may only use grills the owner installed, kept at least 10 feet from…

San Marcos bars open fires in municipal parks outside a designated receptacle unless the Director issues a Park Use…

Bonfires, open flames and barbecues are banned on Santa Barbara County beaches under Sec. 26-27 unless the community…

Vista bans charcoal grills outright at short-term rental properties and requires gas grills, barbeques, and propane…

Built-in barbecues in Westminster's residential zones cannot project into the front setback at all, and Table 3-1 under…

Costa Mesa's Fire Code exempts barbecues, grills and other portable cooking devices from its outdoor fireplace and fire…

Irvine treats a built-in BBQ grill the same as any other piece of ground-mounted mechanical equipment: § 3-27-8(B)…

Palm Springs exempts barbecue grills and other portable cooking-only devices from its outdoor fireplace and fire pit…

Stanislaus County's Fire Code amendments exempt small barbecue propane tanks from the LP-gas installation permit that…

Backyard BBQs and grills at single-family and duplex homes do not require a permit; the fire must be constantly…

Hayward's 2022 all-electric ordinance bans new fuel-gas piping in newly constructed buildings, but HMC Sec…

Lake Forest exempts barbecues, grills, and other portable cooking-only devices from the clearance and approval rules…

Outdoor BBQ grills and exterior fireplaces used for cooking or entertainment are permitted in Los Angeles without an…

Unincorporated Orange County's Fire Code adds permit and clearance rules for outdoor fireplaces and fire pits at…

In every El Monte park and recreational facility, cooking with a portable barbecue device is banned outright unless…

San Bernardino County bans solid fuel burning outdoor fireplaces, chimineas, barbeques, and fire pits at short-term…

On the Bellflower Pedestrian and Bicycle Trail, the City bans any barbecue or other open-flame cooking device and any…

Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 6.15 prohibits barbecues and open fires on public property including parks, sidewalks…

Fremont bars barbeques, grills, stoves and other outdoor cooking appliances from any permitted outdoor commercial…

Below the San Joaquin River bluff edge, Fresno's Bluff Protection Initiative bans lighting any fire or open flame…

Hawthorne bars anyone from making or kindling a fire in a city park unless it's in a picnic stove the city provided, or…

On County-run Los Angeles County beaches like Dockweiler and Marina del Rey, open fires and barbecues are banned except…

San Marcos bans using any ignition source, including a propane or charcoal grill or smoker, to cook with open flames on…

Vista bans charcoal grills outright at every permitted short-term rental and tightly restricts any open flame cooking…

Antioch bans open fires and grills anywhere in a city park except in a designated BBQ pit. Municipal Code § 10-2.07(C)…

Brentwood bars open flames, campfires, and barbecues in city parks and facilities without the director's permission…

Open fires and cooking are banned across Carlsbad's public places, from parks to sidewalks, except in spots the city…

Chico requires outdoor barbeques and smokers to sit 10 feet from structures, stay uncovered, and be kept off…

Chino Hills regulates outdoor fireplaces and fire pits through Development Code section 16.06.070's setback table and…

Costa Mesa bans open fires and barbecues in city parks except at spots designated or permitted by the public services…

In Dublin city parks, campfires, bonfires, and barbecue equipment may only be used in areas the city has designated for…

Under Chapter 8.07, any fire lit on private or public property without the owner's consent and safety-law compliance is…

Elk Grove requires a Public Works Director permit to light any fire in a city park facility, with one built-in…

Escondido lets homeowners install barbecue pits, outdoor fireplaces and grills within required residential setbacks…

A permanent outdoor barbecue, fireplace or kiln in a Fullerton backyard must sit at least five feet from the rear or…

Hanford permits barbecue pits and outdoor fireplaces built to code, but its Fire Code amendment requires 15 feet of…

Huntington Beach limits open flames in its four designated camping parks, Lake Park, Farquhar Park, Huntington Central…

Los Banos bans open-flame cooking on public streets, parks and sidewalks under its unpermitted-camping ordinance…

Menifee Code of Ordinances Section 13.01.120 confines cooking fires in city parks to authorized stoves and grills…

Monterey restricts open fires and portable barbecues in city parks and beaches to the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m…

Murrieta's Fire Code amendments ban open burning citywide, but Section 15.24.160 specifically excepts barbecues, grills…

Oakland's Fire Code keeps barbecues, fire-pits and other open flames at least 10 feet from combustible construction or…

Building an open fire anywhere on Oceanside Beach outside a city fire ring is unlawful under City Code Sec. 19.2, but…

Orange County's Fire Code exempts backyard grills, smokers and other cooking-only devices from the setback rules that…

Rancho Cordova requires a permit to light any open fire in a city park: Municipal Code Section 9.36.058 bars igniting…

Redondo Beach limits fires, barbecues and portable stoves in City parks to masonry or concrete hearths, designated…

Backyard smokers, grills and barbecue pits in Rialto have to meet the same fire-chief compliance standards as…

Rohnert Park requires fire chief approval before anyone builds a fixed incinerator or barbecue pit, and portable…

Sacramento's Fire Code amendments treat a barbecue grill, barbecue pit, incinerator or outdoor fireplace as contained…

Salinas bans trash, yard waste, rubbish and paper as fuel in any bonfire, recreational fire or outdoor fireplace, which…

In unincorporated San Diego County, portable outdoor fireplaces and smokers must stay 15 feet from structures unless…

San Ramon requires a director-issued permit for any fire in a park facility unless it is contained in a barbecue cooker…

Built-in barbecues, fire pits, detached fireplaces, and built-in entertainment centers in Santa Clarita's residential…

Santa Cruz County lets a permitted Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) cook on an outdoor barbecue, smoker…

Turlock's fire code bans LP-gas stoves and cooking appliances citywide except for residential barbecue use, which is…

Upland's municipal code doesn't regulate backyard smokers or grills on private property beyond the state Fire Code…

A wood or charcoal smoker burning outdoors in Westminster is subject to the Fire Code's hazardous-conditions rule…

Whittier confines cooking in its public parks to designated gravel picnic areas. Section 12.44.040(B) bans building…

In unincorporated Contra Costa County, charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices may not be used on…

Hayward regulates outdoor barbecue pits and fireplaces only when they are used for something other than cooking…

Lake County's Burning Regulations impose a seasonal ban on burning brush, slash and other flammable debris from May 1…

Merced's Fire Code amendments exempt small propane cylinders from the citywide LP-gas installation permit when they're…

An outdoor smoker, stove, or similar open-flame cooking appliance at a home in unincorporated Merced County does not…

Pasadena's Fire Code bans operating a portable outdoor fireplace or similar open-flame appliance within 15 feet of any…

Grills, barbecues and other portable devices used solely for cooking, including smokers, are exempt from Perris's fire…

Placer County lets residents light a cooking fire, grill or barbecue on their own unincorporated property without a…

San Leandro Municipal Code Section 7.1.205 lets you grill in city parks with a barbecue, fire ring, stove or…

Stanislaus County exempts small propane cookers from its fire-code permit rule: Section 16.55.040(V), amending 2025…

Outdoor fireplaces, fire bowls, and fire pits used for cooking or ambiance must burn only clean dry wood or charcoal…

Glendale's citywide smoking ban does not touch backyard cookouts: Municipal Code Section 8.52.030 expressly excludes a…

Indio exempts barbecues, fire pits, and wood-burning stoves from its outdoor-burning nuisance ban, so backyard smoking…

Oceanside bars outdoor food and beverage preparation at any sidewalk cafe or outdoor eating area accessory to a…

Using a grill, smoker or other outdoor cooking device at a Davis public event requires a police-issued permit tied to…

Buena Park sets fixed setbacks for BBQ islands, firepits, and fixed barbecues: 20 feet from the front property line, 5…

Chico treats stationary barbecues, fire pits, and built-in outdoor cooking equipment as accessory structures, requiring…

Chino Hills treats a built-in barbecue, countertop kitchen, or pizza oven as an accessory feature under CHMC §…

Clovis regulates permanent backyard cooking features under Table 4-1 of Municipal Code Section 9.40.030: a stationary…

Fresno lets homeowners in Single-Unit Districts add an outdoor, enclosed, or second kitchen under FMC § 15-2753, but an…

Roseville bars outdoor kitchens and fireplaces from the required front yard and classifies them as enclosed accessory…

Santa Clarita requires built-in barbecues, fire pits, detached fireplaces and built-in entertainment centers to sit at…

Sunnyvale zoning classifies built-in barbecues, outdoor fireplaces and accessory cooking areas as "Open Outdoor…

Turlock requires a Fire Department permit for outdoor LP-gas cooking setups under Fire Code § 6101.2, but exempts small…

A permanent second or outdoor kitchen, defined in Yolo County's zoning code as any outdoor space wired or plumbed for a…

In unincorporated Yuba County, a permanent outdoor kitchen counts as a residential accessory structure and must meet…

Built-in barbecues, fire pits, and other outdoor entertaining structures are exempt from Rancho Cucamonga's planning…

Sacramento County's zoning code caps single-family and duplex homes at one kitchen per dwelling, but an outdoor kitchen…