Alabama Burn Permit: Do You Need One and When
Alabama has no burning season, so you call the Alabama Forestry Commission dispatch center at (800) 392-5679 for a permit number any day of the year, though a fire under a quarter acre needs no permit, and on days your county is under a Fire Alert or a Drought Emergency the answer will be no.
Do you need a burn permit in Alabama?
Yes, and the state issues it
Alabama requires a state burning permit, and no part of the year is closed, so the answer is the daily check.
- Who issues it
- Alabama Forestry Commission
- Issued by
- the Alabama Forestry Commission dispatch center, by phone, which reads you back a burning permit number
- How long it lasts
- the burn you describe on the call, and it can be revoked if the weather turns
Alabama law (9-13-11) requires that you obtain a permit from the Alabama Forestry Commission to conduct a prescribed burn for silvicultural and agricultural purposes. In general, the permit means the burner has the manpower and equipment to control the fire and agrees to stay with the fire until it is out. If the proposed fire is less than ¼ of an acre a permit is not necessary.Burn Permits, Alabama Forestry Commission, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
Where you get one
- Phone
- Online for Certified Prescribed Burn Managers only
A fire smaller than a quarter acre needs no permit under the permit law, which is most of what a yard produces. The online system is for Certified Prescribed Burn Managers.
When you may burn in Alabama
Statewide dates
The state closes no part of the year, so the answer is the daily check.
Alabama sets no burning season and permits are issued any day of the year, but the State Forester can declare a Fire Alert for named counties that narrows who gets one, and the Governor can declare a Drought Emergency that stops outdoor burning altogether.
- Who sets it
- Alabama Forestry Commission
- Checked against
- Burn Restriction Definitions, Alabama Forestry Commission
On most days, permits are issued to everyone who meets the requirements of the permit law. During a Fire Alert, only Certified Prescribed Burn Managers with adequate manpower and equipment may be issued a permit.Burn Restriction Definitions, Alabama Forestry Commission, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
What you may and may not burn in Alabama
What the state names as burnable
- grassland
- fields
- forests
What it names as off the pile
- vehicle tires
- construction material
- household garbage
The burn must not contain material such as vehicle tires, construction material, household garbage or other material prohibited by ADEM (Alabama Department of Environmental management)Burn Permits, Alabama Forestry Commission, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
What Alabama asks of the weather and the site
Setbacks, wind limits and what has to be on hand. These are written into the rule rather than offered as advice.
- have the tools, equipment and people to control the fire for the whole burn
- keep the fire confined
- never leave it unattended until it is dead out
- clear the ground around the pile of anything that will carry fire and keep it clear while the fire burns
- you are still liable for damage from the fire or the smoke even with a permit
The person requesting the permit must have adequate tools, equipment, and manpower to stay with and control the fire during the entire burning period. The person requesting the permit is responsible to keep the fire confined. In no case will the person requesting the permit allow the fire to be unattended until it is dead out.Section 9-13-11 of the 1975 Code of Alabama, Alabama Forestry Commission, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
What to check before you light in Alabama
A permit or a season says you may burn in general. What says you may burn today is separate, it changes daily on a wind and humidity forecast, and it overrides a permit already in hand. In Alabama it is published here.
the permit call itself is the daily check, since the dispatch center will not issue one on a day your county is under a Fire Alert or a Drought Emergency
A Drought Emergency is commonly called a “No Burn Order” and prohibits any outdoor burning, including any prescribed burns, camp fires, trash fires.Alabama Forestry Commission, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
What your town can add in Alabama
Counties and cities have their own outdoor burning rules on top of the state permit, and the Forestry Commission puts the job of finding them on the burner.
There are some County and City Laws that also restrict outdoor burning. Burners are responsible for contacting their local government for additional information.Burn Permits, Alabama Forestry Commission, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
Alabama burn permit questions
Burn permits in other states
Alabama rules read September 23, 2026 from Burn Permits, Alabama Forestry Commission. Rules change, a county or town may be stricter than the state, and a burn ban issued today overrides a season that is otherwise open. Every state is on the burn permit hub.