Open Burning Permit
UPDATE: Burn permits can now be paid for online. Please use the Online Burning Application link below. Complete the application. We will review your application and then you will receive an email with the online payment information. Your permit will be emailed to you within a couple hours of payment. As of September 1, 2025 the fee for burn permits increased to $25.00.
Open burning applications may be mailed, dropped off in the black drop box at Entrance A (flag entrance), dropped off in our office, or emailed. If payment is included with the application, the permit will be mailed or emailed out.
*If you are a first-time applicant or have not had a burn permit at your property since 2018, please call 301-600-1717 or email BurningPermitApp@FrederickCountyMD.gov to verify property eligibility before submitting application.
Click on the box below for the Mail-in or Online Application information
The fee for the permit is $25. Payments are accepted Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office accepts cash, checks (made payable to Frederick County Health Department), and Visa/Mastercard/Discover. Credit card payments cannot be made over the phone but can be used with the online application process. Debit cards are not accepted at this time.
All applications are reviewed to ensure that appropriate distances are met, allowable materials are being burned, and property owner’s consent has been given when needed. Some properties will require a site visit to verify application information and/or measure distances. If a site visit is needed, the property owner will be notified via phone or email to arrange a time.
For additional questions regarding burning permits, email or call the Frederick County Health Department Community Services Office at 301-600-1717.
For information about Maryland Department of Natural Resources open burning requirements check out their webpage at DNR Open burning.
The mail-in application allows those who have held a recent burning permit to submit their information through the mail. The application must be filled out completely, accompanied by a check in the amount of $25 and mailed to:
Frederick County Health Department
Environmental Health Services
Community Services/Burning Permits
350 Montevue Lane
Frederick, MD 21702
If an application is incomplete or does not meet the required criteria, the applicant will be notified via phone or email within two (2) business days that a permit cannot be issued.
Note: If the applicant is not the property owner, a Property Owner Permission Letter must be mailed in with the application.
Si el solicitante no es el dueño de la propiedad, haga clic aquí para obtener el formulario de permiso del propietario que se enviará con la solicitud.
If the application is approved, the permit will be mailed or available for pickup at Environmental Health Services, depending on the applicant’s choice.
If the fee and/or property owner permission letter (when needed) are not included, the permit will be held at Environmental Health Services and may be picked up once the missing items are brought in.
Mail-In Burning Permit Application and Regulations
Online applications are generally reviewed within two business days. Applicant will be notified by email once permit has been reviewed and payment may be made. This email will have a link to make an online payment. Or payment may be made in person at the Health Department between 8:00 and 4:30, Monday through Friday. Payments may also be mailed in or left in the secure drop box outside Entrance A of the Health Department.
For online applications, please submit a separate application for each property and each year.
If the applicant is not the property owner, a Property Owner Permission Letter will need to be submitted with the application.
Si el solicitante no es el dueño de la propiedad, haga clic aquí para obtener el formulario de permiso del propietario que se enviará con la solicitud.
If you have read and agreed to the rules below, click here to begin a burn permit application.
Rules and Regulations
I understand that I must call Frederick Communications Center at 301-600-1603 before lighting my burn pile and after extinguishing it.
I understand that this permit is only valid for the burning of brush and tree limbs.
I understand that stumps, cardboard, paper, pallets, pressure treated boards, construction debris, furniture, tires, oil, and household trash may not be burned at any time in Frederick County.
I understand that no burning is permitted within 200 feet of neighboring habitable dwellings, barns, or businesses.
I understand that burning material must have originated on the property for which the permit is held.
I understand that smoke from my open burning may not cause a nuisance to my neighbors.
I understand that a public health officer has the right to access my property to inspect the burn pile and that my fire may be extinguished and/or my permit voided if violations are observed.
I understand that fires must be attended at all times with sufficient control equipment.
I understand that there is a mandatory burn ban during the months of JUNE, JULY, and AUGUST and that open burning is not permitted during this time.
I understand that additional requirements under Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) must be observed if I am burning in a woodland or within 200 feet of a woodland. (For further questions regarding requirements for woodland burning, see https://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/pages/fire/firenotes.aspx or call 301-473-8417.)
For additional questions regarding burning permits, Email or call the Frederick County Health Department Community Services Office at 301-600-1717.