A burn permit and a burn ban are two different things, decided by different rules. This page covers permits —
who issues them, when you need one, what they cost, and how a ban affects one you already hold — for the seven
states people search this question about the most. For a state not listed here, check that state's own page:
most either don't require a permit at all, or explain the permit alongside the live ban status.
A permit is not a ban override
Holding a valid burn permit does not mean burning is legal if a burn ban is later declared — a ban suspends or
voids permits for as long as it's in force, in every state below. The reverse also holds: no ban being active
does not mean no permit is required. Check both, in this order — is there a ban,
then whether a permit applies.
Year-round for open burning, except when the ground has continuous snow cover of at least 3 inches. Cooking and recreational campfires are exempt, as is burning household paper in a covered metal or masonry container with openings no larger than 3/4 inch.
Issued by
Michigan DNR, but only in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula (Muskegon, Newaygo, Mecosta, Isabella, Midland, and Bay counties, and everything north of them). In the southern Lower Peninsula, contact your local fire department or township instead — DNR does not issue permits there.
Cost
Free from DNR. Local permits in the southern Lower Peninsula vary by township or city — check with them directly.
During a burn ban or restriction: There's no separate permit to revoke — Michigan's daily “Yes” or “No” by county on the DNR's own status map is the permit; nothing needs to be printed. No “Yes” listed for your county on a given day means no burning that day, regardless of any permit you held yesterday.
During a burn ban or restriction: NCFS is otherwise required by law to issue a permit to anyone who asks — a statewide or county burn ban is the one thing that overrides that, voiding every open-burning permit for as long as it stays in force.
During a burn ban or restriction: An already-issued online permit becomes void the moment the daily fire-danger class rises to High, Very High, or Extreme, even if you obtained it earlier that same day — always recheck before lighting.
October 15 through May 15 each year, for debris pile fires and prescribed fires within 500 feet of forest, grassland, or woodland. Not required the rest of the year, for screened burn barrels, ceremonial fires, or grilling.
During a burn ban or restriction: Permits are valid for one day only, so nothing carries over regardless. When fire danger is too high, TDF simply pauses issuing new permits (a 'burn restriction') until conditions improve — that's a separate, more common event than a formal burn ban.
For machine-piled vegetation, area burns, and prescribed burns. Hand-piled yard and natural debris on residential, agricultural, or forest land no longer needs a permit as of a 2021 law change.
Issued by
Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC)
Cost
Free — GFC has publicly warned about a scam site charging $19 for fake Georgia permits; GaTrees.org and this phone number are the only official channels.
During a burn ban or restriction: The State Forester can suspend permit issuance or declare a burn restriction for any county at any time, independent of and in addition to EPD's fixed May 1–September 30 summer window.
Most of the state (check by county — some counties are DNR jurisdiction, some aren't), for burning dry leaves, plant clippings, brush, or clean untreated wood.
Issued by
Minnesota DNR
Cost
$5 online transaction fee for a calendar-year permit (activate it as needed by phone, text, or online); or free as a written permit from a DNR Forestry Office or fire warden, valid up to 3 continuous days.
During a burn ban or restriction: No permits will be issued or activated during Elevated Burning Restrictions — an already-purchased annual permit simply can't be activated for that day until conditions improve.
Year-round within DNR forest fire protection areas (roughly 6 in 10 counties), for burning brush, leaves, or other legal yard debris — small warming or cooking fires don't need one.
During a burn ban or restriction: A permit is issued annually to a person, not a location — but it only lets you burn on days the daily burning restrictions map allows it. Check after 9am the day you burn regardless of how long ago you got the permit.
Do I need a burn permit if there is no burn ban in my area?
Often, yes. A permit requirement is usually a standing rule — tied to a season, a distance from woodland, or the type of material — that applies whether or not any emergency ban is active. A ban is what suspends permits; the permit requirement itself does not depend on one existing.
Does a burn permit still work if a burn ban is declared after I got it?
No, not in any of the states covered here. A burn ban voids or suspends every open-burning permit in its area for as long as it stays in force — check the specific state above for the exact mechanism, since some (like Maine) void a same-day permit the moment conditions worsen, while others (like Tennessee) simply stop issuing new ones without touching permits already used that day.
Are burn permits free?
Usually, but not always. Most states here issue them free of charge; Minnesota charges a small online transaction fee for a calendar-year permit (a written one from a DNR office is still free). Where a state's DNR or forestry service is not the issuer — like southern Michigan, where your local fire department or township issues it instead — cost can vary locally.
My state isn't listed here — do I still need a permit?
Possibly. This page covers the seven states people search this question about most, not every state with a permit system. Check your state's own page on this site — where a permit system exists, it's explained alongside the live ban status.
burnbanradar reports permit rules as published by each state's own forestry or natural-resources agency, linked
above. Local ordinances, fire districts, and specific land-management zones can add stricter rules than the
state baseline shown here. The issuing agency's own current rule always governs — verify before you burn.