Texas · Burn Bans

Before

Texas has no statewide burn ban; outdoor burning bans are declared county-by-county by each commissioners' court, and the statute reaches only the county's unincorporated area. On the Texas A&M Forest Service's official county burn-ban layer, queried October 2, 2026 (its most recent ban start date is September 30, 2026), 206 of Texas's 254 counties have an active burn ban (81 percent of the state), including Harris (Houston), Bexar (San Antonio), Brazoria, Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, Travis, Williamson, McLennan, Fort Bend, Galveston, Nueces, Hidalgo, Webb, El Paso, Potter, Randall, Smith, Hays and Comal. Since the September 30, 2026 reading, 9 counties have come OFF the ban list - Anderson, Bell, Johnson, Kerr, Lampasas, Lipscomb, McCulloch, Moore and Uvalde - and none has been added. Only these 48 counties are NOT on the list: Anderson, Angelina, Bell, Borden, Cameron, Camp, Concho, Crockett, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Ector, Gaines, Hardin, Hartley, Haskell, Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kenedy, Kerr, Lampasas, Leon, Liberty, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Loving, Lubbock, Maverick, McCulloch, McMullen, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Nolan, Orange, Pecos, Polk, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Sterling, Stonewall, Tyler, Uvalde and Val Verde. A commissioners' court may adopt a ban when drought conditions exist or it finds a public-safety hazard; an order may not run beyond 90 days from adoption but may be renewed. Where a county ban is in effect most outdoor burning is illegal - a Class C misdemeanor under Local Government Code 352.081, fine up to $500 - and fireworks use is commonly restricted too. Exempt are TCEQ-authorised burns for firefighter training, public utility, natural gas pipeline or mining operations, planting or harvesting of agricultural crops, and burns conducted by a certified and insured prescribed burn manager. Bans change daily - check the Texas A&M Forest Service county burn-ban map for your county before burning.

Now

Texas has no statewide burn ban; outdoor burning bans are declared county-by-county by each commissioners' court, and the statute reaches only the county's unincorporated area. On the Texas A&M Forest Service's official county burn-ban layer, queried October 2, 2026 at about 5:50 p.m. Pacific (its most recent ban start date is September 30, 2026), 192 of Texas's 254 counties have an active burn ban (76 percent of the state), including Harris (Houston), Bexar (San Antonio), Brazoria, Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, Travis, Williamson, McLennan, Fort Bend, Galveston, Nueces, Hidalgo, Webb, El Paso, Potter, Randall, Smith and Comal. Since the morning reading of October 2, 2026, 14 counties have come OFF the ban list - Bandera, Cherokee, Coleman, Delta, Freestone, Gillespie, Grayson, Hamilton, Hays, Hill, Houston, Kendall, Madison and Mason - and none has been added. Only these 62 counties are NOT on the list: Anderson, Angelina, Bandera, Bell, Borden, Cameron, Camp, Cherokee, Coleman, Concho, Crockett, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Delta, Ector, Freestone, Gaines, Gillespie, Grayson, Hamilton, Hardin, Hartley, Haskell, Hays, Hemphill, Hill, Hockley, Houston, Hutchinson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kendall, Kenedy, Kerr, Lampasas, Leon, Liberty, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Loving, Lubbock, Madison, Mason, Maverick, McCulloch, McMullen, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Nolan, Orange, Pecos, Polk, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Sterling, Stonewall, Tyler, Uvalde and Val Verde. A commissioners' court may adopt a ban when drought conditions exist or it finds a public-safety hazard; an order may not run beyond 90 days from adoption but may be renewed. Where a county ban is in effect most outdoor burning is illegal - a Class C misdemeanor under Local Government Code 352.081, fine up to $500 - and fireworks use is commonly restricted too. Exempt are TCEQ-authorised burns for firefighter training, public utility, natural gas pipeline or mining operations, planting or harvesting of agricultural crops, and burns conducted by a certified and insured prescribed burn manager. Bans change daily - check the Texas A&M Forest Service county burn-ban map for your county before burning.