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Washington, 2026 season, 7 offices

Washington Firewood Permits 2026: Prices, Seasons and Rules

Personal use firewood is free on every national forest in Washington, with a household cord limit that runs from six to twelve depending on the forest, and state rule bans bringing untreated firewood in from any other state.

7
Offices selling permits
6 federal, 1 state
On the office page
Price per cord
set district by district
Quarantine
Bringing wood in
Washington State Dept of Agriculture
7
Pests named
emerald ash borer, spongy moth
Office by office

Where to buy a firewood permit in Washington

7 offices in Washington sell a personal use firewood permit, 6 of them federal and 1 run by the state. Each office posts its own price on its permit page. 6 of them give the permit away.

Personal use firewood is free on every national forest in the state: the Umatilla's page says all National Forests in Oregon and Washington are now offering personal-use firewood free of charge. Separately, a state apple maggot quarantine regulates other wood and green waste moving from eastern into western Washington.

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Permit on request

USDA Forest Service

Price
free
Household limit
must not exceed 6 cords total
Wood you may cut
dead and downed trees within the clearing width of the roadway
Cutting season
Sold on request
Where to buy
online, Forest Service offices in Sedro Woolley, Darrington, Verlot, Skykomish, North Bend and Enumclaw
All free firewood permits obtained in a calendar year must not exceed 6 cords total, whether obtained online or in person.
Firewood, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules on this permit

Gather close to the road, and carry the permit and your license.

Gather firewood within 50 feet of the edge of Forest Service roads. Carry your permit and driver's license when cutting, removing or transporting wood.
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Read it at the source

Dead and down only, no heavy equipment, no dragging wood out of the trees.

Only cut and remove dead and downed trees within the clearing width of the roadway or within an area designated by permit. Heavy equipment cannot be used. Yarding or pulling wood from the forest is not allowed.
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Read it at the source

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

The person holding the permit must be present during cutting, removal and hauling.
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Read it at the source

At industrial fire precaution level 3 or higher the permit stops working, whatever its dates say.

Regardless of issue date, permits are void during periods with an IFPL of 3 or higher and all cutting activity is prohibited.
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Read it at the source

Spark arrestor on the saw, plus an extinguisher and a shovel.

Firewood cutters must have screen spark arrestors on their chainsaws and carry a chemical fire extinguisher & shovel.
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Read it at the source

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest firewood permit page

Olympic National Forest

Permit on request

USDA Forest Service

Price
free
Household limit
Up to 6 cords per calendar year
Wood you may cut
no cedar
Cutting season
Sold on request
Where to buy
online, in person at a Forest Office
Up to 6 cords per calendar year are available for free, and can be used for cutting, manufacturing, handling, or other processing firewood, but not for resale.
Firewood, Olympic National Forest, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules on this permit

The free permit is for your own use, not resale.

Personal Use Permit : Free, allows a person to collect up to six cords per calendar year.
Olympic National Forest. Read it at the source

Keep the permit on you while gathering and hauling.

Permit holders must have their permit in their immediate possession while gathering and transporting Firewood.
Olympic National Forest. Read it at the source

Cedar is off the list entirely.

Cedar harvest is not permitted.
Olympic National Forest. Read it at the source

Cutting is limited to a corridor measured from the middle of the road.

Firewood cutting is allowed within 100 feet of the middle of the road.
Olympic National Forest. Read it at the source

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

2026 season

USDA Forest Service

Price
free
Cutting season
From May 1, 2026
Where to buy
online through E-Permits, in person at a local Forest office
Personal use firewood permits are free. Those who receive free use firewood permits may use the firewood for cutting, manufacturing, or other processing, but not for resale.
Forest Product Permits, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules on this permit

A permit is required and it opens only certain parts of the forest.

A personal use firewood permit is required to obtain firewood from the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The permit allows cutting of firewood in select areas of the forest, subject to certain restrictions.
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Read it at the source

This is a transition year to online permits, with offices helping people through it.

The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is offering firewood permits online through E-Permits starting May 1, 2026. Beginning in 2027 firewood permits for the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest will transition fully to E-Permits.
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Read it at the source

Carry the permit and map, and be present while gathering.

Will receive a permit and map which will be carried when cutting and transporting firewood.
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Read it at the source

Load tags have been dropped even though the printed maps still mention them.

Load tags are no longer required , unlike what is noted on these maps.
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Read it at the source

Colville National Forest

2026 season

USDA Forest Service

Price
free
Household limit
up to 12 cords of firewood per household
Cutting season
Jun 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027
Where to buy
self service stations at district offices and the Colville headquarters
The Colville National Forest staff offer free personal use firewood authorizations at our offices using a self-service procedure. The authorization allows removal of up to 12 cords of firewood per household.
Permits, Colville National Forest, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules on this permit

You fill the authorization out yourself at an unstaffed station before you cut.

Colville National Forest district offices and the headquarters in Colville will each provide a self-service station to obtain your free 12-cord authorization and firewood cutting packet in an area accessible to the public (typically outside the visitor entrance door).
Colville National Forest. Read it at the source

Complete it before cutting, and log what you take.

Fill out the authorization before cutting firewood.
Colville National Forest. Read it at the source

Carry the authorization and the digital cutting map with you.

Carry both the authorization and the digital firewood cutting map with you while cutting firewood on the Colville National Forest.
Colville National Forest. Read it at the source

The fire kit is specified down to the spark arrester mesh and the shovel blade.

The required equipment listed on the Firewood Permit includes a saw with an exhaust system in good repair with a screen-type spark arrester of 0.023 inches or less and qualified under USDA Forest Service standards; a long-handled round pointed shovel with an 8-inch blade; and pressurized chemical fire extinguisher of not less than 8-ounce capacity by weight.
Colville National Forest. Read it at the source

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Permit on request

USDA Forest Service

Price
free
Household limit
6 cords per household, per year across the forest
Cutting season
Dec 31
Where to buy
by mail or phone from ranger district offices in Amboy, Trout Lake and Randle, Wind River Market in Carson
The limit on the amount of firewood you can gather with a free, or charge use, permit is 6 cords per household, per year across the forest.
Special Forest Products: Firewood Permit, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules on this permit

Permits run out at the end of the year they were issued in.

Permits expire December 31 of the year purchased.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Read it at the source

A campfire on the forest can use down wood without a permit, but taking wood home cannot.

Only down wood may be gathered for a campfire without a permit. This camp firewood must be used on the Forest. (You must have a permit to remove firewood from the forest.)
Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Read it at the source

Live trees, standing dead trees and anything marked or showing wildlife use stay standing.

Do not cut live trees, standing dead trees, trees with signs, wildlife tags, blazes or with any evidence of wildlife habitation such as nests, or cavities.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Read it at the source

Carry the permit and the load tickets, and bring the listed saw equipment.

The permit and woodcutting load tickets must be in your possession when cutting firewood.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Read it at the source

The forest asks people to get their wood near where they will burn it.

Firewood can carry insects and diseases that can threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by obtaining your firewood near to where you will burn it.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Read it at the source

Umatilla National Forest

2026 season

USDA Forest Service

Price
free
Household limit
12-cords-per-household-per-year
Wood you may cut
Dead or down trees less than 24 inches across the stump
Cutting season
May 1 to Nov 30
Where to buy
Forest offices in Walla Walla, Pomeroy and Clarkston, Washington and Pendleton, Ukiah and Heppner, Oregon, several local businesses
All National Forests in Oregon and Washington are now offering personal-use firewood free of charge. The maximum limit for personal-use firewood on the Umatilla National Forest is 12-cords-per-household-per-year.
Forest Product Permits, Umatilla National Forest, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules on this permit

A permit and load tickets are both required before you cut.

A firewood cutting permit and load tickets are required to cut, gather, and transport firewood on the Umatilla National Forest. The firewood cutting season runs from May 1 - November 30.
Umatilla National Forest. Read it at the source

Dead or down only, under 24 inches at the stump, with a stump height limit.

Dead or down trees less than 24 inches across the stump may be cut and removed for firewood. When cutting down a dead tree, the remaining standing stump should be no more than 12 inches high from the base of the tree.
Umatilla National Forest. Read it at the source

Validate a ticket per half cord and tack it to the back of the load.

After loading the firewood, completely remove the month and day on the colored load ticket, corresponding with the date the firewood is being removed. On the back of the load, firmly staple, nail, or tack one ticket for each 1/2 cord being transported. All load tickets must be clearly visible.
Umatilla National Forest. Read it at the source

The permit is good on Umatilla ground only, not state, BLM or private land.

This firewood permit is for Umatilla National Forest lands only, and not for State, BLM or private lands.
Umatilla National Forest. Read it at the source

State trust lands

2026 season

Washington State Department of Natural Resources

Price
On the office page
Wood you may cut
downed wood left at timber harvest sites
Cutting season
Jan 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026
Where to buy
printed from the region's page on the department website
We provide limited opportunities for the public to cut firewood in approved areas on state trust lands when suitable downed wood is left at timber harvest sites.
Firewood, Product Sales and Leasing, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Rules on this permit

Permits open only where a harvest has left suitable wood, and there are fewer of those every year.

Purchasers of trust lands timber sales are using more and more of the branches left after trees are harvested, so please understand that there are fewer opportunities for personal firewood collection.
State trust lands. Read it at the source

Stay in the marked area, because snags, down wood and stumps are managed as habitat.

Please follow your permit carefully for where and what to cut and collect as snags, downed wood, and stumps can be important wildlife habitat components that we manage per our State Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan.
State trust lands. Read it at the source

A forester marks the cutting area on the ground.

Foresters mark the area appropriate for cutting and collecting your firewood. Please follow instructions and stay in the specified area.
State trust lands. Read it at the source

You print and sign the permit yourself and keep it showing in the vehicle.

Simply click on the permit name, then print, complete, sign and keep the permit displayed in your vehicle.
State trust lands. Read it at the source

Parking on department land also needs the state access pass.

A Discover Pass is required to access DNR-managed lands.
State trust lands. Read it at the source

State trust lands firewood permit page

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Moving firewood

Can you bring firewood into Washington?

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

Quarantine

Washington restricts moving firewood into or within the state.

Washington bans bringing untreated firewood in from any other state. Out of state firewood has to be heat treated to a set core temperature and time, or treated by an equivalent method the department approves, and labeled Approved Pest Free. Wood cut in Washington and kept in Washington is outside the rule.

Agency
Washington State Department of Agriculture
Certified or treated wood
Heat treated and certified wood may come in
Pests named
emerald ash borer, spongy moth, Asian longhorned beetle, spotted lanternfly, pine wood nematode, Sirex woodwasp, Japanese cedar longhorn beetle
No person shall transport, by any means, untreated firewood into the state of Washington, for sale or use within the state, from any location outside of the state.
WAC 16-476-001, Establishing an exterior quarantine for firewood, Washington State Legislature, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

What the rule says

The quarantine exists to keep pests that ride in firewood out of the state.

Pursuant to chapter 17.24 RCW, a quarantine is established to protect the state of Washington from the introduction of plant pests, including plant diseases, and bee pests transported on firewood from outside the state.
Washington State Department of Agriculture. Read it at the source

Wood cut in Washington and kept here is not covered, and neither are pellets or bricks.

This quarantine and the requirements set forth in this rule do not apply to firewood harvested and remaining within Washington state, compressed wood bricks, pellets, and other processed wood products used for fuel wood uses such as home heating or campfires
Washington State Department of Agriculture. Read it at the source

Heat treatment is a stated core temperature for a stated time, and letting wood dry does not count.

In order to be transported into Washington state, firewood from outside Washington state must be heat treated to a minimum wood core temperature of 71 C (160 F) for at least 60 minutes or equivalent treatment as approved by the department. Air drying of firewood is insufficient and is not approved by the department.
Washington State Department of Agriculture. Read it at the source

Treated wood has to carry a label naming where it came from and saying it is approved.

When firewood is harvested outside of Washington state and is treated in compliance with WAC 16-476-003 , it must be labeled "Approved Pest Free" in order to be transported into the state.
Washington State Department of Agriculture. Read it at the source

Firewood certified by the federal government may come in under its own label.

Packaged firewood that has been certified by USDA may also be transported into Washington state. This firewood must be labeled to clearly show it is certified by USDA, as well as contain the producer's name and address.
Washington State Department of Agriculture. Read it at the source

The insects and diseases named in the Washington rule are emerald ash borer, spongy moth, Asian longhorned beetle, spotted lanternfly, pine wood nematode, Sirex woodwasp and Japanese cedar longhorn beetle. 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 Washington

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:

  • Okanogan-Wenatchee National ForestFrom May 1, 2026
  • Colville National ForestJun 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027
  • Gifford Pinchot National ForestDec 31
  • Umatilla National ForestMay 1 to Nov 30
  • State trust landsJan 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 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 Washington says about firewood arriving. The nearest states posting a price by the cord:

  1. Idaho$5 to $6.25
  2. Oregon$5

Washington firewood permit questions

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Firewood permits in other states

Washington heating oil and propane pricesWhat a gallon costs this winter, and how that compares with a cord.First snow in WashingtonWhen the first measurable snow usually falls, city by city.Washington 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 Firewood, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie 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.