Can I burn tree limbs and yard debris in Tallahassee?

Short answer: often yes, without a permit, if four things are true. The debris is yard waste from your own property. The pile is no more than 8 feet across (or in a noncombustible container). It sits 25 feet from your house, 150 feet from other occupied buildings and 50 feet from a paved public road. And there is no burn ban that day. The 150-foot distance from neighbors rules it out on many in-town lots. Questions go to the Florida Forest Service at 850-681-5951.

Tallahassee Tree Match is a free matching service, not a tree company, a fire department or a government office. This page summarizes public rules from the Florida Forest Service, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Tallahassee Fire Department. It is not legal advice. Rules and burn bans change, so confirm before you light anything.

What you can burn without a permit

The Florida Forest Service says you do not need a burn authorization for yard waste: grass clippings, brush, leaves, tree limbs, palm fronds and similar plant debris from yard maintenance. The state rule adds that it must come from a home with no more than two family units and be burned on the same property where it was generated, so you can’t haul in a neighbor’s limbs. (Florida Forest Service, Burn Authorizations; Fla. Admin. Code 62-256.700)

Never burn household garbage, paper products, treated lumber, plastics, rubber, tires, paint, pesticide or aerosol containers. Florida law bans it. (Florida Forest Service; Florida DEP, Open Burning)

The rules for a yard-waste fire

Rule	What it means
Pile size	No more than 8 feet in diameter, on ground cleared of anything that can burn, or inside a noncombustible container
From your house	At least 25 feet
From woods, brush or anything combustible	At least 25 feet
From paved public roads	At least 50 feet
From other occupied buildings	At least 150 feet
Hours	Light it after 9 a.m. Eastern (Tallahassee is on Eastern time); have it out one hour before sunset
Weather	Not on windy days. The City’s fire department adds no burning on rainy or foggy days.
Supervision	Someone attends it the whole time, with a hose or other way to put it out ready

Sources: Florida Forest Service, Burn Authorizations; Fla. Admin. Code 62-256.700(1); Tallahassee Fire Department, Open Burning & Burn Permit Information (PDF).

A quick way to check your lot: pace off 150 feet from your neighbors’ houses and 50 feet from the street. If nothing on your property is outside both, you can’t burn there legally, even in a container.

Bigger piles need an authorization

A pile larger than 8 feet across needs an authorization from the Florida Forest Service, suppression equipment on hand and larger setbacks, which the local field unit will give you. (Florida Forest Service) The FFS FAQ says you request it by phone after 4 p.m. the day before or on the day of the burn, it covers one location only, and you call again for each day you burn unless you get an extended authorization of up to three days. Have your address ready, and the Section/Township/Range from your deed helps them find the spot. (Open Burning in Florida FAQ)

For land clearing, which the FFS says is clearing for construction or development, not yard waste, the residential setbacks jump to 300 feet from occupied buildings, 100 feet from roads and 50 feet from wildlands. (Open Burning in Florida FAQ)

Check for a burn ban first

Burn bans are set by the County, and the Tallahassee Fire Department follows them inside City limits. In spring 2026, during an exceptional drought, Leon County banned all burning of yard debris, land-clearing and brush piles, campfires and fire pits, and burn barrels; grills and indoor fireplaces were still allowed. (Tallahassee Democrat, April 10, 2026)

Look at the state map: the Florida Forest Service posts a county burn-ban map. It says counties don’t have to report bans to it, so the map can lag.
Call to be sure: the Tallahassee Fire Department sends burn questions for the City and the County to the Florida Forest Service at 850-681-5951 (Tallahassee Forestry Center, which covers Leon County). (TFD burn sheet; FFS, Before Burning Outdoors in Florida (PDF))
Watch the dryness: the FFS publishes the Keetch-Byram Drought Index, which rises every day without rain. A high number means a pile can escape more easily.

The FFS also advises against burning right after heavy rain: wet debris makes far more smoke and burns poorly. (Open Burning in Florida FAQ)

Safety, and who pays if it escapes

Clear a ring down to bare soil around the pile, and cover a burn container with wire mesh to stop sparks.
Keep a hose or shovel at hand, never walk away, and make sure the fire is completely out before you leave.
Don’t let smoke drift across a road and block drivers’ view.

Escaped debris burning is one of the leading causes of wildfires in Florida. If your fire escapes, the Tallahassee Fire Department warns you may be liable for the cost of putting it out and for damage to other people’s property. (Florida Forest Service; Tallahassee Fire Department) For anything out of control, call 911.

Can’t burn? Other ways to get rid of limbs

Inside City limits: curbside yard waste pickup takes small limbs cut to 6 feet or less and no thicker than 4 inches, in piles up to 4 feet high. Bigger limbs and whole trees need a paid special pickup. Our stump guide lists the current City prices and rules. (City of Tallahassee, yard waste; Special Pickup)
Unincorporated Leon County: residents can take one free pickup-truck load of yard debris per day to a Rural Waste Service Center, with proof of address. (Leon County, Rural Waste Service Centers)
Hiring a pro: the City says debris from a tree service must be removed by that company, so make sure the quote includes haul-away. (City storm debris guide) Our guide to choosing a tree service covers what a written quote should list.

Questions

Can I burn yard waste in Tallahassee?

Usually yes, inside City limits and in unincorporated Leon County, as long as no burn ban is in effect and you follow the state rules: only yard waste from your own property, a pile no wider than 8 feet (or a noncombustible container), the required distances from buildings, woods and roads, and lit no earlier than 9 a.m. Eastern and out one hour before sunset. The Tallahassee Fire Department sends burn questions for both the City and the County to the Florida Forest Service at 850-681-5951.

Do I need a burn permit to burn tree limbs in Leon County?

Not for a normal yard-waste pile. The Florida Forest Service says yard waste, including tree limbs, brush, leaves and palm fronds, can be burned without an authorization if the pile is under 8 feet across, the setbacks are met, and the burning hours are followed. A pile larger than 8 feet needs a Florida Forest Service authorization, suppression equipment on hand and bigger setbacks.

How far from my house does a burn pile have to be?

The Florida Forest Service lists 25 feet from your house, 25 feet from forests or wildlands, 50 feet from paved public roads, and 150 feet from other occupied buildings, such as a neighbor’s home. On a typical in-town lot, the 150-foot distance from neighbors is often the rule that rules burning out.

Is there a burn ban in Leon County right now?

Check before every burn. The Florida Forest Service keeps a map of county-enacted burn bans, but it notes counties are not required to report them, so the surest answer comes from the local fire department or the Florida Forest Service office at 850-681-5951. In spring 2026, during an exceptional drought, Leon County banned all burning of yard debris, fire pits and burn barrels, and the Tallahassee Fire Department enforced it.

Can a tree service burn the limbs from my tree removal on my property?

Do not assume so. The no-authorization yard-waste rules are written for debris from yard maintenance on a home lot, and big piles need a Florida Forest Service authorization. The City of Tallahassee also says debris from a tree service company must be removed by that company. The simplest path is a quote that includes hauling everything away.

What happens if my fire gets away?

The Tallahassee Fire Department warns that if your fire escapes, you may be liable for the cost of putting it out and for damage to other people’s property. Escaped debris burning is one of the leading causes of wildfires in Florida, according to the Florida Forest Service.

Too much to burn or haul?

If the job is a whole tree, a big pile of storm limbs or a stump, we can connect you with one independent local tree pro for a free quote that includes haul-away. Leave a short request and they will contact you.

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