It’s getting a little easier to obtain a burn permit. A new online permit system goes live on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
The online system mirrors the availability of permits at the county level, while maintaining the same restrictions and business rules used by GFC’s internal burn permit interface. If a local GFC unit has permits enabled for a specific burn category (or all burn categories), users will be able to obtain a permit on their computer or phone. They will not be required to speak to a dispatcher for agriculture burn notification, land clearing permits, or silviculture burns. If restrictions are in place for the requested burn location or burn category, the system will notify the user that permits are currently unavailable. A permit will not be issued.
The only stipulation in the process is for silviculture burns. Individuals requesting a silviculture burn permit will be required to enter their Certified Prescribed Burn Manager number. Without that information, the system will not issue a permit. Instead, it will direct them to contact the Georgia Forestry Commission at 1-800-GA-TREES for assistance.
The new online system is designed to enhance customer service by accelerating application response time and providing remote access to burn permit authorization. The system will be available between the hours of 0600 and 1900 daily, and permits can only be obtained for the current day. Permits are only valid for the day of the burn.
Also on October 1, the summer ban on outdoor burning in 54 northern Georgia counties will be lifted. The annual restrictions are imposed by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division from May 1 through the end of September to protect air quality from emissions that may increase ground level ozone during the hot summer months.
The 54 counties whose burn bans will be lifted on October 1 are: Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Columbia, Coweta, Crawford, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gordon, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Lumpkin, Madison, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Richmond, Rockdale, Spalding, Troup, Twiggs, Upson, Walker and Walton.
As a reminder, burn permits are no longer required for hand-piled natural vegetation. Burners must follow specific safety guidelines, however. Complete details about burn permits, safe burning, and fire weather forecasts, go to gatrees.org/burn.
