---
title: "Michigan Burn Rules to Know Before Burning Fall Leaves"
url: https://www.heredetroitmi.com/2026/11/04/burning-leaves-fall-michigan-burn-rules-permits/
date: 2026-11-04T10:15:51-05:00
modified: 2026-11-04T10:15:51-05:00
author: "HERE City State Desk"
categories: ["Home and Garden"]
site: "HERE Detroit"
attribution: "HERE Detroit"
---

# Michigan Burn Rules to Know Before Burning Fall Leaves

> LANSING, Mich. — Raking season is in full swing across Michigan, and state environmental and forestry officials want residents to check a few rules before setting a match to that backyard pile of leaves and brush. Start with a permit. A burn permit is required any time the ground is not covered by snow. In

*Source: [HERE Detroit](https://www.heredetroitmi.com/2026/11/04/burning-leaves-fall-michigan-burn-rules-permits/) — November 4, 2026 by HERE City State Desk*

LANSING, Mich. — Raking season is in full swing across Michigan, and state environmental and forestry officials want residents to check a few rules before setting a match to that backyard pile of leaves and brush.

Start with a permit. A burn permit is required any time the ground is not covered by snow. In the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula, the Department of Natural Resources handles permits online: a county map at Michigan.gov/BurnPermit shows whether burning is allowed that day, and a yes for your county counts as the permit, with nothing to print. Information is also available by phone at 866-922-2876. Residents of the southern Lower Peninsula get permission from their local fire department or local government instead.

Location matters, too. Under state air quality rules, yard debris cannot be burned within 1,400 feet of the limits of an incorporated city or village. Where no local ordinance says otherwise, grass and leaves may be burned under state law in communities with fewer than 7,500 people. Local city, township or village rules can be stricter, so officials suggest a call before lighting.

Some things can never go in the fire. Trash, plastic and hazardous materials are banned from burning anywhere because they give off toxic pollution; the state points residents to its online recycling directory instead.

Safety basics apply every time: keep a shovel and water close by, never walk away from a fire, and skip burning on windy days when embers can blow into dry grass and leaves. Officials note that careless yard-waste burning starts many wildfires. For campfires and wood stoves, well-seasoned wood burns cleaner, and dry logs feel light and sound hollow when knocked together.

Leaves do not have to be burned at all. They can be composted, shredded into mulch that protects perennials and limits erosion, or left in a corner of the yard where they break down and give wildlife shelter over the winter.