Burn bans in Georgia
Georgia's Environmental Protection Division (EPD) enforces an annual Summer Open Burning Ban from May 1 through September 30 in 54 named counties, primarily in the metro Atlanta ozone non-attainment area. The ban prohibits burning yard and land-clearing debris to reduce ground-level ozone. The other 105 Georgia counties are not subject to the summer ban but remain subject to standard state fire-prevention rules and any county-level burn ban issued by the State Forester.
Applies only to 54 named counties, chiefly in and around metro Atlanta and in the ozone non-attainment area.
All counties in Georgia
| county | Status | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Banks | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Barrow | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Bartow | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Bibb | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Butts | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Carroll | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Catoosa | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Chattooga | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Cherokee | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Clarke | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Clayton | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Cobb | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Columbia | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Coweta | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Crawford | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Dawson | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| DeKalb | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Douglas | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Fayette | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Floyd | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Forsyth | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Fulton | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Gordon | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Gwinnett | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Hall | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Haralson | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Heard | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Henry | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Houston | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Jackson | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Jasper | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Jones | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Lamar | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Lumpkin | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Madison | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Meriwether | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Monroe | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Morgan | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Newton | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Oconee | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Paulding | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Peach | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Pickens | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Pike | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Polk | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Putnam | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Richmond | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Rockdale | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Spalding | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Troup | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Twiggs | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Upson | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Walker | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Walton | Burn Ban in Effect | — |
| Appling | No Restrictions | — |
| Atkinson | No Restrictions | — |
| Bacon | No Restrictions | — |
| Baker | No Restrictions | — |
| Baldwin | No Restrictions | — |
| Ben Hill | No Restrictions | — |
| Berrien | No Restrictions | — |
| Bleckley | No Restrictions | — |
| Brantley | No Restrictions | — |
| Brooks | No Restrictions | — |
| Bryan | No Restrictions | — |
| Bulloch | No Restrictions | — |
| Burke | No Restrictions | — |
| Calhoun | No Restrictions | — |
| Camden | No Restrictions | — |
| Candler | No Restrictions | — |
| Charlton | No Restrictions | — |
| Chatham | No Restrictions | — |
| Chattahoochee | No Restrictions | — |
| Clay | No Restrictions | — |
| Clinch | No Restrictions | — |
| Coffee | No Restrictions | — |
| Colquitt | No Restrictions | — |
| Cook | No Restrictions | — |
| Crisp | No Restrictions | — |
| Dade | No Restrictions | — |
| Decatur | No Restrictions | — |
| Dodge | No Restrictions | — |
| Dooly | No Restrictions | — |
| Dougherty | No Restrictions | — |
| Early | No Restrictions | — |
| Echols | No Restrictions | — |
| Effingham | No Restrictions | — |
| Elbert | No Restrictions | — |
| Emanuel | No Restrictions | — |
| Evans | No Restrictions | — |
| Fannin | No Restrictions | — |
| Franklin | No Restrictions | — |
| Gilmer | No Restrictions | — |
| Glascock | No Restrictions | — |
| Glynn | No Restrictions | — |
| Grady | No Restrictions | — |
| Greene | No Restrictions | — |
| Habersham | No Restrictions | — |
| Hancock | No Restrictions | — |
| Harris | No Restrictions | — |
| Hart | No Restrictions | — |
| Irwin | No Restrictions | — |
| Jeff Davis | No Restrictions | — |
| Jefferson | No Restrictions | — |
| Jenkins | No Restrictions | — |
| Johnson | No Restrictions | — |
| Lanier | No Restrictions | — |
| Laurens | No Restrictions | — |
| Lee | No Restrictions | — |
| Liberty | No Restrictions | — |
| Lincoln | No Restrictions | — |
| Long | No Restrictions | — |
| Lowndes | No Restrictions | — |
| Macon | No Restrictions | — |
| Marion | No Restrictions | — |
| McDuffie | No Restrictions | — |
| McIntosh | No Restrictions | — |
| Miller | No Restrictions | — |
| Mitchell | No Restrictions | — |
| Montgomery | No Restrictions | — |
| Murray | No Restrictions | — |
| Muscogee | No Restrictions | — |
| Oglethorpe | No Restrictions | — |
| Pierce | No Restrictions | — |
| Pulaski | No Restrictions | — |
| Quitman | No Restrictions | — |
| Rabun | No Restrictions | — |
| Randolph | No Restrictions | — |
| Schley | No Restrictions | — |
| Screven | No Restrictions | — |
| Seminole | No Restrictions | — |
| Stephens | No Restrictions | — |
| Stewart | No Restrictions | — |
| Sumter | No Restrictions | — |
| Talbot | No Restrictions | — |
| Taliaferro | No Restrictions | — |
| Tattnall | No Restrictions | — |
| Taylor | No Restrictions | — |
| Telfair | No Restrictions | — |
| Terrell | No Restrictions | — |
| Thomas | No Restrictions | — |
| Tift | No Restrictions | — |
| Toombs | No Restrictions | — |
| Towns | No Restrictions | — |
| Treutlen | No Restrictions | — |
| Turner | No Restrictions | — |
| Union | No Restrictions | — |
| Ware | No Restrictions | — |
| Warren | No Restrictions | — |
| Washington | No Restrictions | — |
| Wayne | No Restrictions | — |
| Webster | No Restrictions | — |
| Wheeler | No Restrictions | — |
| White | No Restrictions | — |
| Whitfield | No Restrictions | — |
| Wilcox | No Restrictions | — |
| Wilkes | No Restrictions | — |
| Wilkinson | No Restrictions | — |
| Worth | No Restrictions | — |
How Georgia decides
- The ban applies only in 54 counties (mostly metro Atlanta area), May 1 – September 30 each year.
- The other 105 Georgia counties are not subject to the summer ban.
- Hand-piled yard debris burning is exempt from year-round permit requirements as of 2021 (in most counties).
- The State Forester can issue separate county-level burn bans anywhere in Georgia at any time of year.
Penalties in Georgia
EPD can assess civil penalties for violating the Summer Burning Ban. Amounts vary; local fire officials may also issue citations. Escaped fires can trigger liability for suppression costs and property damage.
Classification: Environmental violation · Maximum fine: Civil penalties per day of violation
Common questions about Georgia burn bans
Is there a burn ban in Georgia right now?
Yes — 54 counties in Georgia are currently under a burn ban. The county table above lists each one with its effective date and source.
How does Georgia issue a burn ban?
Georgia's Environmental Protection Division (EPD) enforces an annual Summer Open Burning Ban from May 1 through September 30 in 54 named counties, primarily in the metro Atlanta ozone non-attainment area. The ban prohibits burning yard and land-clearing debris to reduce ground-level ozone. The other 105 Georgia counties are not subject to the summer ban but remain subject to standard state fire-prevention rules and any county-level burn ban issued by the State Forester.
When is the Georgia burning restriction in effect?
May 1 through September 30. Today the rule is in effect.
What are the penalties for violating a burn ban in Georgia?
EPD can assess civil penalties for violating the Summer Burning Ban. Amounts vary; local fire officials may also issue citations. Escaped fires can trigger liability for suppression costs and property damage.
burnbanradar reports the counties-level orders as published by Georgia Environmental Protection Division. Municipal ordinances may impose stricter rules. When Georgia Environmental Protection Division does not list a county, that does not mean no ban exists — verify with the county office. The published order governs.