How Does a Burn Permit Work in Monterey County?

Backyard burning in Monterey County is allowed only from December 1 through April 30, and only on permissive burn days. You also need a valid permit. From May 1 through November 30, backyard burning of residential yard trimmings is banned.

The Monterey Bay Air Resources District sets that season for Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. Permits come from the air district or your local fire department. In the State Responsibility Area, CAL FIRE says its burn permits are required. Cruz Land Management is based in Seaside. Our forestry mulching grinds brush into mulch where it stands, so nothing sits in a pile waiting for December.

Who issues burn permits in Monterey County?

The Monterey Bay Air Resources District covers Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. Its Rule 438, Open Outdoor Fires, regulates the air emissions from all outdoor fires in those counties. The district defines backyard burning as burning green waste by occupants of single- or two-family homes.

The district’s backyard burning brochure says to get a permit from the air district or your local fire department. It also says you may burn only if your local fire jurisdiction allows it. Your fire agency can tell you whether that includes your address.

• CAL FIRE covers the State Responsibility Area in Monterey County through its San Benito-Monterey Unit. Its news release lifting a burn suspension says CAL FIRE burn permits are required for burning.
• North County Fire Protection District covers North Monterey County. Its residential burn season runs December 1 through April 30, unless CAL FIRE changes it.
• Monterey County Regional Fire District covers the Carmel Valley side and the Highway 68 corridor. It posted that its residential backyard burn season ended April 30, 2026.
• Santa Cruz County’s code sets an open burn season of December 1 through April 30, unless otherwise declared.

Farm and land management burns follow their own path. Piles cleared from under 10 acres need the air district’s Agricultural and Land Management Burn Permit. Piles from 10 acres or more, and broadcast burns, go through the Prescribed Fire Information Reporting System (PFIRS).

What are the backyard burning rules?

The air district’s backyard burning brochure lists the conditions below. The pile size comes from a CAL FIRE San Benito-Monterey Unit release.

Confirm a permissive burn day before you light the pile. The air district’s burn permits page links to a Burn Day Status page. Its brochure says the status is normally online by 3 p.m. If the weather makes burning unsafe, the brochure says not to burn.

Burning on a no-burn day, or burning banned material, may bring fines or penalties. This guide is general information as of September 2026. The air district and your fire agency answer permit questions for your property.

When is burning banned around Monterey County?

Every year from May 1 through November 30, the air district bans backyard burning of residential yard trimmings. Its April 2026 release adds that fires to dispose of dry vegetation cleared before a construction project are also banned. That line matters if you are clearing a lot for a new house or an ADU.

CAL FIRE can also suspend burn permits in the State Responsibility Area. In 2025, its San Benito-Monterey Unit suspended all burning permits there starting May 6. The reason given was extreme fire danger and dry conditions. Suspension dates can change from year to year, so check before you plan a burn.

Weed abatement has its own rule in North Monterey County. North County Fire’s weed abatement standard says combustible weeds and debris shall not be removed by burning. Our guide to what a weed abatement notice asks for covers those notices.

What do the rules mean for a brush pile?

A pile of cut brush has to clear several checks before it can burn.

• The calendar. Brush cut after May 1 cannot go into a backyard burn until December 1 at the earliest. Until then, the pile sits on the property.
• Drying. Thick wood needs time. Branches over 6 inches thick must dry 180 days before they burn.
• Space. The brochure’s checklist asks for half an acre or more. The pile must sit more than 100 feet from adjacent structures.
• The day itself. You need a permissive burn day. An adult has to stay with the fire until it is out.

If your pile holds poison oak, the air district’s brochure says to avoid burning it.

Burns can escape in winter too. The Colorado Fire started January 21, 2022, in Palo Colorado Canyon in Big Sur, south of Carmel-by-the-Sea. CAL FIRE lists its cause as debris burning. It burned 687 acres and destroyed one structure.

Can you clear brush without burning it?

Yes. Forest Service researchers say nearby homes, air quality and few good burn days limit planned burns. They name mechanical mastication of shrubs and small trees as one alternative.

Mastication is the work of our masticating head, a drum mulcher on a compact track loader. It grinds brush, saplings and small trees into mulch where they stand. The mulch stays on the ground as cover, and the trees you want to keep stay standing. Larger trees and limbing are a tree service’s work.

North County Fire’s weed abatement standard says finely mulched cut material does not have to be collected and removed. Other agencies set their own rules, so check your notice.

We use the masticator for brush clearing on hillsides and fence lines, and for defensible space clearing around homes. Grass and weeds get cut with the rotary brush mower instead.

How do you get brush cleared without a burn pile?

Call or text (831) 200-5377 and send photos of the brush. We look at the property and put the quote in writing. If you have an inspection notice or an insurance letter, we size the work to it.

Based in Seaside, we work across the Monterey Peninsula, the Salinas area and up the coast to Santa Cruz. See how forestry mulching with a masticating head works, from the first call to mulched ground.