The open burning of residential yard waste and household garbage or trash is not allowed in Hillsborough County.  Open burn authorization may be requested for the following land clearing activities:

• Initial clearing of vegetation for development
• Initial clearing for mineral operations
• Rights-of-way for public highways or roads
• Flood control and water drainage channels

For additional information or clarification regarding your project or authorizations, please see our Open Burning FAQ  section and our informational guide, or contact a member of our Air Management Division staff at (813) 627-2600.

Fees and Payments

Applications for authorization by EPC are reviewed after submittal of an application and payment of the application fee:

• $300 for initial clearing of vegetation for residential, commercial and industrial development, or
• $300 for every 3 months for initial land clearing for mineral operations. 

EPC staff will conduct an on-site inspection before issuing the approved authorization. 

Submit Online Application with e-Pay

• Application for pile burning (PB75 - Open Burning without ACI) 
• Application for an air curtain incinerator (ACI65 - Open Burning with ACI) 
• Application for mining (PBM85 - Open Burning w/o ACI for Mineral Operations) 

Permit Tracking

To view the status of your open burn application you can search our Permit Application System.

Florida Forest Services Authorization

Florida Forest Service (FFS) issues open burning authorizations for prescribed burns for habitat/ecosystem management and restoration (e.g. exotics control), silvicultural operations, range improvement, maintenance operation of agricultural land use for the grazing of animals, and initial land clearing for agriculture or other agricultural purposes. For more information, contact FFS at 863-940-6701 or visit the FFS website.