Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Environmental Protection Division, Air Protection Branch

Contacts
Jim Kelly (404)363-7131

District Office Locations and Contact Information

The purpose of Georgia’s Open Burning Rule is to help promote public safety and air quality benefits. All open burning in the State of Georgia is prohibited with the exception of the 13 types of burn activities listed.

Georgia’s Open Burning Rule specifies what residents are allowed to burn. Click here for a list of those types of open burning that are legal in the state of Georgia. Please note that the burning of garbage or lumber, even in a burn barrel, is illegal.

There are several counties that have additional restrictions due to air quality concerns:

• The Summer Burn Ban affects 54 counties during the summer months of May through September. To learn more about this restriction, view the Summer Burn Ban page.
  

  Effective May 22, 2013, Georgia’s Open Burning Rule will no longer prohibit the following types of burning in counties with a population that exceeds 65,000 unless those counties are also subject to the summer burn ban:
  
  8. Disposal of vegetative debris from storm damage.
  
  9. For weed abatement, disease, and pest prevention.
  
  11. Open burning for the purpose of land clearing or construction or right-of-way maintenance (the conditions for this type of burning are detailed in the rule).
  
  These types of burns are now permitted if the county has a population over 65,000 and is not subject to the summer burn ban. The counties affected by this rule change are Bulloch, Chatham, Dougherty, Glynn, Lowndes, Muscogee, and Whitfield.

  Burn permits are now required from Georgia Forestry Commission for the operation of an Air Curtain Destructor.

  Certain burning restrictions apply to counties with a population over 65,000. With the results of the 2010 U.S. census, five new counties in Georgia have populations over 65,000 and are subject to the summer burn ban and are now subject to these population – based restrictions. The new counties are Barrow, Newton, Troup, Walker, and Walton Counties. (Burning restrictions for these new counties begin on January 1, 2012.)
  
  Counties with a population over 65,000 and subject to the summer burn ban may not burn vegetative debris from storm damage or for the purpose of weed abatement, disease, and pest prevention.
  
  In addition, burning for the purpose of land clearing must use an air curtain destructor (ACD) subject to the requirements of the rule. Click here to view ACD Operating Guide and Procedures. An operating permit for an ACD from EPD is not necessary. However, a burn permit must be obtained from GFC when operating an ACD. An internet or yellow pages search will help locate local companies that rent ACDs.

Any type of open burning, also known as outdoor burning, in the state of Georgia will require a permit, with the exception of acceptable agricultural burning. To obtain a permit, simply call 1-877 OK2BURN or obtain one online at: http://www.gatrees.org/OnlinePermits/. The online burn permit website is provided by the Georgia Forestry Commission, which provides the permits and will also provide alerts about any additional local burn restrictions.

Please click on pages below for specific information.

GA Burning Rules (view by county)	Summer Burn Ban	Outreach & Education	Alternatives to Burning	Acquired Structure Burning