Montgomery County, Maryland
Can you burn leaves at home?
No. Montgomery County, Maryland prohibits burning leaves from ordinary residential yard cleanup, including in a recreational fire.
Rule reviewed September 6, 2026. This is a residential disposal rule, not a live emergency burn-ban determination.
Leaves are prohibited fuel.
The county's prohibited-material list includes leaves, lawn thatch, and garden trimmings. Its recreational-fire requirements also prohibit leaves. A fire pit does not turn residential leaf disposal into an allowed recreational fire.
What this answer does not decide
Agricultural permits, declared-emergency exceptions, and other materials require separate rules and inputs. This page does not establish that a different fire is permitted or that no temporary ban exists.
Disposal alternatives
The county lists composting, yard-trim collection, and its transfer station as alternatives.
Montgomery County DEP: open burning and prohibited materials