Rhode Island Burn Permit: Do You Need One and When
Rhode Island requires a written permit to kindle fire for any brush, grass or debris burned in the open near forest land at any time of year, issued by the Department of Environmental Management or an authorized representative such as the local fire chief, with a separate hours restriction on small attended fires from March 15 to May 15 and a city or town free to be stricter.
Do you need a burn permit in Rhode Island?
Yes, and the state issues it
Rhode Island requires a state burning permit, and no part of the year is closed, so the answer is the daily check.
- Who issues it
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
- Issued by
- a written permit to kindle fire from the DEM director or an authorized representative, which in practice means the local fire chief or senior officer
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no person shall burn any flammable material on or adjacent to forest land without a written permit from the director of the department of environmental management or, his or her authorized representative, on forms prepared and under rules and regulations approved by the director, provided whoever sets or maintains a permit fire shall totally extinguish the permit fire before leaving it and the director, or his or her authorized representative, may cancel or suspend any or all permits, if, in his or her opinion, public necessity requires it.R.I. Gen. Laws § 2-12-6, Restrictions on open air fires, Rhode Island General Assembly, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
Where you get one
- Written permit from the director of the department of environmental management
- Authorized representative
- Fire chief or senior officer
When you may burn in Rhode Island
Statewide dates
The state closes no part of the year, so the answer is the daily check.
Rhode Island sets no open and close dates for burning brush: a written permit to kindle fire is required at any time of year, and a separate rule restricts the hours for small attended fires in rubbish burners, incinerators and outside fireplaces between March 15 and May 15.
- Who sets it
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
- Checked against
- 250-RICR-70-00-2, Rules and Regulations Relative to Forest Fire Personnel and Forest Fires and Prevention, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Burning on state property, at all times, or brush piles, grass, debris, or any other materials in the open air and on or adjacent to forest land requires a written permit to kindle fire.250-RICR-70-00-2, Rules and Regulations Relative to Forest Fire Personnel and Forest Fires and Prevention, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
The hours are part of the rule and are the piece most often missed: Rhode Island allows burning for small attended fires in a rubbish burner, incinerator or outside fireplace between March 15 and May 15, burning must be done before 10:00 A.M. or after 5:00 P.M. unless snow covers the ground, rain is falling, or a written permit has been issued.
What you may and may not burn in Rhode Island
What the state names as burnable
- brush piles
- grass
- debris
Burning by any person in rubbish burners, incinerators and/or outside fireplaces must be attended and must be done before 10:00 A.M. and/or after 5:00 P.M. during the period of March 15th to May 15th except when snow covers the ground, rain is falling, or a written permit to kindle fire in the open air has been issued to burn in rubbish burner, incinerator, or outside fireplace by an authorized representative of the director of the department of environmental management.250-RICR-70-00-2, Rules and Regulations Relative to Forest Fire Personnel and Forest Fires and Prevention, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
What Rhode Island 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.
- a permit fire must be completely put out before you leave it
- small fires in a rubbish burner, incinerator or outside fireplace must be attended
- DEM may cancel or suspend any or all permits when it judges that public necessity requires it
- burning must be sited so it will not endanger forest, pasture, brush, sprout, waste or cutover woodland or buildings
provided that time of burning and location of the incinerator, fireplace or rubbish burner is such that fires from any incinerator, fireplace or rubbish burner will not endanger any forest and pasture, brush, sprout, waste or cutover woodland or buildings.R.I. Gen. Laws § 2-12-7, Exemption of attended fires, Rhode Island General Assembly, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
What your town can add in Rhode Island
A Rhode Island city or town may ban open burning outright or add stricter conditions of its own on top of the state rule.
This regulation does not preclude a municipality from prohibiting or attaching any more stringent conditions to any open burning.R.I. Gen. Laws § 2-12-6, Restrictions on open air fires, Rhode Island General Assembly, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
Rhode Island burn permit questions
Burn permits in other states
Rhode Island rules read September 23, 2026 from R.I. Gen. Laws § 2-12-6, Restrictions on open air fires, Rhode Island General Assembly. 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.