Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) rules · county status · warming fires
Georgia Burn Bans and Burning Rules
The Georgia burn permit season, how counties declare bans, and where hunters may build a fire on public ground.
Photo: NASA/Milan Loiacono (Public domain)
Burn ban status for every Georgia county
(1) The State Forester/GFC Director may order outdoor burning banned in one or more counties when drought or other conditions make burning unusually hazardous (O.C.G.A. 12-6-17; such an order has the force of law). (2) The Governor may do so under emergency powers (O.C.G.A.
GFC news releases and the GFC online permit system (permit availability by county). EPD Summer Burn Ban page and annual press release. Governor's executive orders.
County bans in Georgia are posted locally; start from your county page below.
Sources: Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) (epd.georgia.gov), checked November 15, 2026.
Georgia EPD Summer Burn Ban counties (May 1 to Sep 30)
EPD Summer Burn Ban, May 1 to September 30, in 54 counties (metro Atlanta, Augusta, Chattanooga and Macon areas). It prohibits burn types 1 (leaves on premises), 7, 8, 9, 11 and 13; prescribed burning (4) is also prohibited in 19 of them. From October 1 to April 30, 27 of those counties (2010 population over 65,000) may not do types 8, 9 or 11.
Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Columbia, Coweta, Crawford, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gordon, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Lumpkin, Madison, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Richmond, Rockdale, Spalding, Troup, Twiggs, Upson, Walker, Walton
Sources: Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) (epd.georgia.gov), checked November 15, 2026.
Georgia burn permit rules
Permit season
Year-round. Georgia has no permit season. GFC permits are required for EPD burn types 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 11 and 13 (agriculture, prescribed burns, storm debris, weed/pest abatement, land clearing, air curtain destructors).
Where to get it
Online at https://georgiafc.firesponse.com/burn-permit/public/ (daily 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.) for eligible agricultural and land-clearing burns, and for Certified Prescribed Burners for burns up to 99 acres. Online permits are only available if no burn restriction is in place for the county that day.
What it covers
Agricultural, silvicultural and land-clearing burns, vegetative storm debris, prescribed burns, air curtain destructors, and burning of machine-piled debris.
What is exempt
Since Senate Bill 119 amended O.C.G.A. 12-6-90, no permit or notification is needed for hand-piled natural vegetation or yard debris (leaves and limbs) burned on the premises. The burner must follow S-S-T-A-R: 25+ ft from woodlands, 50+ ft from structures, sunrise to sunset, attended until out, and reasonable precautions.
When to burn
A permit is good only for the day it is issued. Hand-piled yard debris burns (no permit) must be between sunrise and sunset under O.C.G.A. 12-6-90(c)(2).
Sources: Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) (gatrees.org), checked November 15, 2026.
Georgia campfire rules for hunters
Georgia DNR WMAs: Rule 391-4-2-.60(8) allows camping and other recreational use year-round unless indicated or posted otherwise at the check station or site. No standing WMA-wide campfire ban was found in that rule. WRD has issued temporary campfire bans on named WMAs during drought (for example October 2016: 'refrain from building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire', with commercial fuel stoves excluded). During a GFC or Governor burn ban order, the ban covers 'any woods, lands, marshes, refuse, or other combustible materials'. Chattahoochee-Oconee NF: within campgrounds and recreation sites, build fires only in provided fire rings, stoves, grills or fireplaces, and obey fire restrictions. The forest's fire danger status was 'Extreme' on 2026-10-27.
Sources: Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) (law.cornell.edu), checked November 15, 2026.
Fire danger levels and Georgia penalties
Fire danger
GFC publishes NFDRS ratings and NWS fire weather forecasts by GFC region on its fire weather site (weather.gfc.state.ga.us/CURRENT2/Index2019-02.aspx), plus a fire danger forecast map image (weather.gfc.state.ga.us/Maps/fdf1.gif; the /maps path is robots-disallowed for crawling). GFC treats High Fire Danger days rated Very High or Extreme as a reason not to burn. The GFC Public Viewer (georgiafc.firesponse.com/public/) shows active wildfires, prescribed fires and smoke.
Penalties
Burning without a required permit, or without the required notice for pasture or crop-residue burns, is a misdemeanor (O.C.G.A. 12-6-90(e)). GFC says Unlawful Burn Notices may be issued and suppression charges may apply if 12-6-90 is not followed and a wildfire results. A State Forester ban order under 12-6-17 has the force and effect of law.
Sources: Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) (gatrees.org; syfert.com), checked November 15, 2026.
Georgia burning contacts
- The April 22, 2026 order was the first mandatory GFC burn ban in the agency's history. It covered 91 counties and ran 30 days unless extended; the Governor lifted it statewide May 12, 2026.
- Burning man-made materials such as tires, shingles, plastics, lumber or household garbage is unlawful in Georgia, even in a burn barrel.
| Office | Phone | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia Forestry Commission (burn permits) | 1-800-428-7337 (1-800-GA-TREES) | Open |
| GFC county offices | Open | |
| GFC headquarters, Dry Branch | 478-751-3500 | Open |
| Georgia EPD district offices | Open |
Sources: Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) (gatrees.org; epd.georgia.gov; gatrees.org), checked November 15, 2026.
Fire in Georgia woods and fields
Georgia burn permit and ban answers
Who declares a burn ban in Georgia?
(1) The State Forester/GFC Director may order outdoor burning banned in one or more counties when drought or other conditions make burning unusually hazardous (O.C.G.A. 12-6-17; such an order has the force of law). (2) The Governor may do so under emergency powers (O.C.G.A.
When is a burn permit required in Georgia?
Year-round. Georgia has no permit season. GFC permits are required for EPD burn types 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 11 and 13 (agriculture, prescribed burns, storm debris, weed/pest abatement, land clearing, air curtain destructors).
Is there an app for Georgia burn permits?
Online at https://georgiafc.firesponse.com/burn-permit/public/ (daily 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.) for eligible agricultural and land-clearing burns, and for Certified Prescribed Burners for burns up to 99 acres. Online permits are only available if no burn restriction is in place for the county that day.
Are campfires allowed during a burn ban in Georgia?
Since Senate Bill 119 amended O.C.G.A. 12-6-90, no permit or notification is needed for hand-piled natural vegetation or yard debris (leaves and limbs) burned on the premises. The burner must follow S-S-T-A-R: 25+ ft from woodlands, 50+ ft from structures, sunrise to sunset, attended until out, and reasonable precautions.
Where can hunters have a fire in Georgia?
Georgia DNR WMAs: Rule 391-4-2-.60(8) allows camping and other recreational use year-round unless indicated or posted otherwise at the check station or site. No standing WMA-wide campfire ban was found in that rule. WRD has issued temporary campfire bans on named WMAs during drought (for example October 2016: 'refrain from building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire', with commercial fuel stoves excluded).
Can I be fined for burning in Georgia?
Burning without a required permit, or without the required notice for pasture or crop-residue burns, is a misdemeanor (O.C.G.A. 12-6-90(e)). GFC says Unlawful Burn Notices may be issued and suppression charges may apply if 12-6-90 is not followed and a wildfire results.
Is fire danger posted daily in Georgia?
GFC publishes NFDRS ratings and NWS fire weather forecasts by GFC region on its fire weather site (weather.gfc.state.ga.us/CURRENT2/Index2019-02.aspx), plus a fire danger forecast map image (weather.gfc.state.ga.us/Maps/fdf1.gif; the /maps path is robots-disallowed for crawling). GFC treats High Fire Danger days rated Very High or Extreme as a reason not to burn. The GFC Public Viewer (georgiafc.firesponse.com/public/) shows active wildfires, prescribed fires and smoke.
What hours can I burn in Georgia?
A permit is good only for the day it is issued. Hand-piled yard debris burns (no permit) must be between sunrise and sunset under O.C.G.A. 12-6-90(c)(2).
Which counties fall under the Georgia summer ban?
Georgia EPD Summer Burn Ban counties (May 1 to Sep 30) covers 54 counties: Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb and others.
Which office covers burning in Georgia?
Georgia Forestry Commission (burn permits) 1-800-428-7337 (1-800-GA-TREES); GFC county offices; GFC headquarters, Dry Branch 478-751-3500.
Before you strike a match
Use this page to plan, then confirm with Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) or the county on the day itself.