As of July 1, 2021, the Georgia outdoor burning requirements have changed. No permit is required for hand-piled natural vegetation/yard debris, meaning leaves, grass, limbs, etc only. However, the Environmental Protection Division summer burn ban from May 1 - September 30 will continue to be in effect. The Georgia Rules for Air Quality define open burning as any outdoor fire from which the products of combustion are emitted directly into the open air without passing through a stack, chimney, or duct. All outdoor burning of natural vegetative materials is considered open burning and requires certain practices to be followed.

Outdoor Burning Requirements:

• Always check the Fire Weather Forecast and Current Fire Danger Rating for your area before initiating any type of outdoor burn
• It is unlawful to burn man-made material such as household garbage, lumber or plastic
• Only burn all-natural vegetation such as grass and hedge clippings, limbs, leaves, pine cones, and other naturally occurring debris on the premises which they occur that is hand piled
• 25+ feet between fire and woodlands
• 50+ feet between fire and structures
• Can only burn between sunrise and sunset
• Person responsible for the fire must remain on site until the fire is extinguished
• Person responsible should have tools/measures in place to prevent escaped fire. Examples include: hand tools for containing a fire (shovel, rake, etc), continuous water source, man-made or natural barrier to contain the fire.

Agriculture, silviculture, land-clearing burns and vegetative storm debris do still require burners to contact their local Georgia Forestry Commission.

For more information on outdoor burning click the link to the Georgia Forestry website.