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California, 2026 season, 6 offices

California Firewood Permits 2026: Prices, Seasons and Rules

Most California national forests sell a personal use fuelwood permit priced by the cord, and the state inspects firewood at its border stations under several federal and state plant quarantines.

6
Offices selling permits
national forest and BLM
$1 to $15
Price per cord
6 priced by the cord
Quarantine
Bringing wood in
California Dept of Food and Agriculture
6
Pests named
chestnut bark disease, oak wilt disease
Office by office

Where to buy a firewood permit in California

6 offices in California sell a personal use firewood permit. A cord runs $1 to $15 depending on which office you buy from.

Each national forest sells its own permit and it is good only on that forest, so a permit bought on one forest does not travel to the next.

Lassen National Forest

2026 season

USDA Forest Service

Price
$2 per cord for a 10-cord purchase, $20 for 10 cords
Cutting season
Until Dec 31, 2026
Where to buy
online E-Permit system, in person at a Lassen National Forest district office
Permits are $2 per cord for a 10-cord purchase.
Personal Fuelwood, Lassen National Forest, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules on this permit

Snags close to a paved road, railroad or power line are off limits.

Falling snags within 100 feet of a paved road or within 200 feet of a railroad or power lines is prohibited.
Lassen National Forest. Read it at the source

Dead hardwoods cannot be cut anywhere on the forest.

Dead hardwood trees may not be felled anywhere.
Lassen National Forest. Read it at the source

Snag diameter is capped except for lodgepole pine.

With the exception of lodgepole pine, the falling of snags is limited to trees 20 inches in diameter or smaller.
Lassen National Forest. Read it at the source

Closure areas are off limits, including the Park Fire closure.

Gathering fuelwood in closure areas is prohibited. This includes the Park Fire Closure area.
Lassen National Forest. Read it at the source

You must carry a printed permit; a phone copy is not valid.

A printed physical permit must be in the permittee's possession and kept readily available while harvesting and transporting products. A permit must be printed to be valid.
Lassen National Forest. Read it at the source

Inyo National Forest

2026 season

USDA Forest Service

Price
$15 per cord, with a minimum two-cord purchase
Minimum
minimum two-cord purchase
Wood you may cut
standing dead conifer trees with no needles and up to 15 inches in diameter at breast height
Cutting season
From May 1
Where to buy
online, in person at forest visitor centers
Permits are $15 per cord, with a minimum two-cord purchase.
Firewood Permits, Inyo National Forest, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules on this permit

Stay close to a designated road when collecting.

Do not drive over 100 feet from a designated road to collect firewood.
Inyo National Forest. Read it at the source

Leave the biggest downed logs for wildlife.

Leave dead and downed log diameters of greater than 30 inches. Large logs provide wildlife habitat and recycle soil nutrients.
Inyo National Forest. Read it at the source

Carry the permit, the tags and the firewood map.

Everyone must carry permit, tags and firewood map and follow the regulations on the permit.
Inyo National Forest. Read it at the source

Chainsaw use stops on high fire danger days.

During “very high or “extreme” fire danger days, the Inyo National Forest will shut down use of electric or gas-powered chainsaws for all or part of the day.
Inyo National Forest. Read it at the source

Inyo National Forest firewood permit page

Tahoe National Forest

Permit on request

USDA Forest Service

Price
$15 per cord with a minimum permit charge of $30 for a two-cord permit
Minimum
minimum permit charge of $30 for a two-cord permit
Household limit
no more than 10 cords of personal-use fuelwood per calendar year
Cutting season
Apr 24 to Dec 31
Where to buy
secure online file folder request, USPS mail, telephone
The cost is $15.00 per cord with a minimum permit charge of $30.00 for a two-cord permit.
Woodcutting Permits, Tahoe National Forest, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules on this permit

The wood has to go to the address written on the permit, and it cannot be resold.

Wood collected under the permit must be transported to and used at the address listed on the permit. Wood is for personal-use only and may not be sold to another party.
Tahoe National Forest. Read it at the source

The permit holder has to be there while the wood is cut and hauled.

The person named on the permit must be present during wood cutting, gathering, and transporting.
Tahoe National Forest. Read it at the source

On the American River Ranger District you cannot leave a designated route.

On the American River Ranger District, driving off any designated motor vehicle route to gather fuelwood is prohibited.
Tahoe National Forest. Read it at the source

The permit only covers Tahoe National Forest land.

A Tahoe National Forest Personal Use Fuelwood permit is only good for wood collected on the Tahoe National Forest.
Tahoe National Forest. Read it at the source

Shasta-Trinity National Forest

2026 season

USDA Forest Service

Price
$2/cord with a minimum purchase of $20
Minimum
minimum purchase of $20
Household limit
12-cord limit per household per calendar year
Cutting season
Until Dec 31, 2026
Where to buy
online E-Permit system, in person at a district office, by phone to the local ranger station
Firewood permits are available at $2/cord with a minimum purchase of $20 and a 12-cord limit per household per calendar year.
Permits, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules on this permit

The permit year runs January through December.

January starts the new year for firewood permits, running through to December 31.
Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Read it at the source

You must carry a printed permit and follow the forest fuelwood cutting map.

Woodcutters are required to hold a permit and must follow the associated regulations within that permit and the accompanying Shasta-Trinity National Forest Fuelwood Cutting Map.
Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Read it at the source

Checking the daily cutting restrictions is on you.

As a reminder: it is the responsibility of the permit holder to check and be aware of the daily firewood cutting restrictions in effect.
Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Read it at the source

Rules vary by ranger district, so call the local office.

Woodcutting requirements may vary substantially so please call your local ranger district office to see if there are any specific local restrictions or requirements.
Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Read it at the source

Sequoia National Forest

2026 season

USDA Forest Service

Price
$10 per cord, with a minimum two-cord purchase
Minimum
minimum two-cord purchase
Wood you may cut
standing dead conifer trees with no needles and up to 15 inches in diameter at breast height
Cutting season
From May 1, 2026
Where to buy
in person at local Forest Service offices
Permits are $10 per cord, with a minimum two-cord purchase.
Personal-use Firewood Permit Sales Begin May 1, Sequoia National Forest, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules on this permit

Stay close to a designated road when collecting.

Do not drive over 100 feet from a designated road to collect firewood.
Sequoia National Forest. Read it at the source

Driving off the road beyond safe parking is not allowed.

Driving off the road, beyond the area reasonably required for safe parking is prohibited.
Sequoia National Forest. Read it at the source

Leave the biggest downed logs for wildlife.

Leave dead and downed log diameters of greater than 30 inches. Large logs provide wildlife habitat and recycle soil nutrients.
Sequoia National Forest. Read it at the source

Carry a shovel or a fire extinguisher.

Always carry a shovel or fire extinguisher.
Sequoia National Forest. Read it at the source

Chainsaw use stops on high fire danger days.

During “very high or “extreme” fire danger days, the Sequoia National Forest will shut down use of electric or gas-powered chainsaws for all or part of the day.
Sequoia National Forest. Read it at the source

Eagle Lake Field Office, Chester Airport Parcel Fuelwood Collection Area

2026 season

Bureau of Land Management

Price
$1 per cord
Wood you may cut
downed trees burned in the 2021 Dixie Fire
Where to buy
online at forestproducts.blm.gov
This low-cost permit provides individuals and families with the opportunity to collect their own firewood on public land for $1 per cord, while helping remove dead trees.
BLM Offers One Dollar Firewood Permits in Chester, California, Bureau of Land Management, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules on this permit

Permits stay on sale until the downed wood is gone.

Firewood permits for collection in this area can be purchased online at forestproducts.blm.gov and are available until all downed trees have been collected.
Eagle Lake Field Office, Chester Airport Parcel Fuelwood Collection Area. Read it at the source

Keep the vehicle on an existing road.

Please keep vehicles on existing roads while collecting firewood.
Eagle Lake Field Office, Chester Airport Parcel Fuelwood Collection Area. Read it at the source

A map marks the area the permit covers.

The Chester Airport Parcel Fuelwood Collection Area map shows the designated collection area.
Eagle Lake Field Office, Chester Airport Parcel Fuelwood Collection Area. Read it at the source

Eagle Lake Field Office, Chester Airport Parcel Fuelwood Collection Area firewood permit page

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Moving firewood

Can you bring firewood into California?

California has a quarantine on the books, which means untreated firewood from outside the line may not come in. The rule is written by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and it sits below in its own words.

Quarantine

California restricts moving firewood into or within the state.

Firewood coming into California is inspected at the border stations and can be turned away if pests or disease show up, and several federal and state plant quarantines restrict moving it. The department also asks travelers not to carry firewood away from where it was cut.

Agency
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Pests named
chestnut bark disease, oak wilt disease, spongy moth, pine shoot beetle, Asian longhorned beetle, emerald ash borer
Like all plant material, firewood is subject to inspection for insects and disease symptoms when it arrives at our border stations—if insects or disease symptoms are found, the wood may be rejected. Because of the high likelihood of wood-boring insects being present in all shipments of firewood, travelers are strongly discouraged from moving firewood out of the local area from where it was cut.
Border Protection Stations Frequently Asked Questions, California Department of Food and Agriculture, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

What the rule says

Quarantine regulations restrict or forbid moving firewood.

Additionally, several federal and state plant quarantine regulations prohibit or restrict the movement of firewood.
California Department of Food and Agriculture. Read it at the source

Pack firewood where an inspector can get at it.

Have all plant material—including fruits, vegetables, plants, hay, and firewood—packed for easy access.
California Department of Food and Agriculture. Read it at the source

Inspection is refusable but nothing enters until an inspector releases it.

Although submitting to inspection is voluntary, vehicle and commodities are not allowed to enter until released by an inspector.
California Department of Food and Agriculture. Read it at the source

The insects and diseases named in the California rule are chestnut bark disease, oak wilt disease, spongy moth, pine shoot beetle, Asian longhorned beetle and emerald ash borer. A beetle covers a few hundred yards in a season on its own wings, and several hundred miles in an afternoon in the bed of a pickup, which is the whole reason the rule exists.

A slender metallic green beetle about half an inch long resting on pale cracked tree bark
The emerald ash borer, photographed by USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine. It flies only a short way on its own; a load of untreated firewood carries it as far as the truck goes, which is why more states name it in their firewood rules than any other pest. “Plant Protection and Quarantine (34954841290)”, APHIS.gov, Public domain
When to cut

Firewood cutting season in California

Each office sets its own window, and most of them close it when fire danger rises or the roads soften. The dates those offices have posted:

  • Lassen National ForestUntil Dec 31, 2026
  • Inyo National ForestFrom May 1
  • Tahoe National ForestApr 24 to Dec 31
  • Shasta-Trinity National ForestUntil Dec 31, 2026
  • Sequoia National ForestFrom May 1, 2026

Offices close their gates for weather and fire restrictions inside these windows, so the office’s own page is the one to check the week you go.

Nearby

What a cord costs in the states next door

A permit is only good on the land the office manages, so a cheaper cord across the line still has to obey whatever California says about firewood arriving. The nearest states posting a price by the cord:

  1. Arizona$1 to $5
  2. Nevada$5 to $10
  3. Oregon$5

California firewood permit questions

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Firewood permits in other states

California heating oil and propane pricesWhat a gallon costs this winter, and how that compares with a cord.First snow in CaliforniaWhen the first measurable snow usually falls, city by city.California Christmas tree permitsThe other permit the same ranger district sells each winter.Firewood permits by stateEvery price by the cord in one table, with the rule on moving wood.
An open pole woodshed in a spruce clearing, one bay filled with stacked cordwood, a hydraulic log splitter in the foreground
An Alaska woodshed in summer with the winter stacked and the splitter still out. A cord is a stack four feet by four feet by eight feet, and that is the unit nearly every permit is priced in. “Alaska woodshed”, Keith Parker, CC BY-SA 2.0

Compiled September 22, 2026 from Personal Fuelwood, Lassen National Forest, USDA Forest Service and the other agency pages linked beside each quote above. Prices, seasons and quarantine boundaries change, so the agency’s own page is the one to read before you load a truck. Every state is in the national firewood permit guide.