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 (its most recent ban start date is September 30, 2026), 154 of Texas's 254 counties have an active burn ban (61 percent of the state), including Harris (Houston), Bexar (San Antonio), Brazoria, Dallas, Tarrant, Travis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hidalgo, Webb, El Paso, Potter and Randall. Only these 100 counties are NOT on the list: Anderson, Angelina, Bandera, Bell, Borden, Brazos, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron, Camp, Cherokee, Clay, Coleman, Collin, Colorado, Comal, Concho, Coryell, Crockett, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Delta, Denton, Ector, Freestone, Gaines, Gillespie, Grayson, Gregg, Grimes, Hamilton, Hardin, Hartley, Haskell, Hays, Hemphill, Henderson, Hill, Hockley, Hood, Houston, Hunt, Hutchinson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Kendall, Kenedy, Kerr, Lamar, Lampasas, Lavaca, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, Loving, Lubbock, Lynn, Madison, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Mills, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Nacogdoches, Nolan, Nueces, Orange, Pecos, Polk, Rains, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Saba, Smith, Sterling, Stonewall, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Uvalde, Val Verde, Van Zandt, Walker, Waller, Washington, Wharton, Williamson and Wood. 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 (its most recent ban start date is October 12, 2026), 153 of Texas's 254 counties have an active burn ban (60 percent of the state), including Harris (Houston), Bexar (San Antonio), Brazoria, Dallas, Tarrant, Travis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hidalgo, Webb, El Paso, Potter and Randall. NEW BANS in Mills and San Jacinto counties start October 12, 2026; Cooke, Fayette and Navarro counties are no longer on the list. Only these 101 counties are NOT on the list: Anderson, Angelina, Bandera, Bell, Borden, Brazos, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron, Camp, Cherokee, Clay, Coleman, Collin, Colorado, Comal, Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Crockett, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Delta, Denton, Ector, Fayette, Freestone, Gaines, Gillespie, Grayson, Gregg, Grimes, Hamilton, Hardin, Hartley, Haskell, Hays, Hemphill, Henderson, Hill, Hockley, Hood, Houston, Hunt, Hutchinson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Kendall, Kenedy, Kerr, Lamar, Lampasas, Lavaca, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, Loving, Lubbock, Lynn, Madison, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Nolan, Nueces, Orange, Pecos, Polk, Rains, San Patricio, San Saba, Smith, Sterling, Stonewall, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Uvalde, Val Verde, Van Zandt, Walker, Waller, Washington, Wharton, Williamson and Wood. 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.