Agricultural burning & permitting

Your farm is an agricultural operation if you used the most recent year’s IRS Schedule F, or its corporate equivalent, for commercial agriculture. Read the agricultural burning rule for more information.

Most agricultural burning requires a permit. If the field you want to burn is in a county with a clean air agency, contact that agency about an agricultural burn permit.

Don't allow smoke to impact others. Before starting a fire, contact your local fire department to check if there is a local burn ban.

Best Management Practices (BMPs) are one of the ways to show the need to burn. Applicants must use Best Management Practices to complete their application to burn.

• Bale
• Cereal grain
• Non-cereal grain
• Orchard crops
• Non-orchard pile
• Spot

1. In the table below, find the county where you plan to burn.
2. Contact the office in the county where you plan to burn.

Depending on where you plan to burn, the burn permit may be issued by:

• Ecology – online option (see "how to get an agricultural burn permit online" below) and walk-in
• Local clean air agency
• Conservation district – online option (see "how to get an agricultural burn permit online" below) and walk-in
• Tribal government, with technical help from EPA

Agricultural burn permit applications and instructions are listed under "agricultural burn permit applications" (next section below). Application forms can be delivered to an office listed below, emailed to our Eastern or Central Regional Office, or mailed to the address listed on the application. Application forms are also available at each office.

Get started

To register in the online burn permit application system:

1. Use the step-by-step burn permit application user guide.
2. Sign up for a Secure Access Washington (SAW) account. SAW is a platform used by Washington state agencies for information security.
   Skip this step if you already have a business account in SAW.
3. Log in to your SAW account, using Chrome or Firefox or Edge.
4. Add the Air Quality Application portal to your list of services in SAW.
5. Create a profile in the Air Quality Application portal.
6. Add the Burn Permit Application to your list of applications in the Air Quality Application portal.
7. Open the Burn Permit Application through the Air Quality Application portal to submit your burn permit application.

A burn permit will not be issued immediately.  Before a burn permit is issued, the permitting agency must review the application. A decision is usually made within 7 business days after payment or submittal of a free burn permit application.

For help, email:

• agburnteamcro@ecy.wa.gov for Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Okanogan counties
• agburnteamero@ecy.wa.gov for Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties

• Washington burn zone map
• How to describe your burn location

A baled residue permit is used for burning broken, mildewed, diseased, or pest-ridden bales from 10 acres or less, or a maximum equivalent of two tons per acre. This permit cannot be used for field burning or spot burning.

• Application

A Conservation Reserve Program permit is used for burning on farmland that is being preserved for wildlife habitat (supplemental application).

• Application
• Field burning permit (also required)

A field permit is used for burning crop residue and cereal-grain stubble (wheat, barley, corn, and oats) after harvest to reduce excess plant material. This includes flaming, used for weed control in organic farming.

• Application

A pile permit is used for burning piled-up agricultural vegetation on land that is going to stay in agriculture. This includes orchard tear-out. It is also used for a documented pest emergency.

For flaming, use the field permit application.

• Application

A spot permit is used for burning areas that are 1/2 acre or less, up to a total of 10 acres per year, such as:

• Small weed patches
• Spots of heavy residue
• Equipment plugs and dumps
   
• Application