Michael Westen is a spy who receives a "burn notice" while on assignment. Spies are not fired, rather they are issued a burn notice to let the agent know their services are no longer required. Penniless, Michael returns to his roots in Miami where he freelances his skills to earn money. First up, Michael helps a man clear his name after valuable pieces of art and jewelery are stolen.

Michael helps Madeline's friend retrieve money from a swindler, and in return he receives information about some visitors that came to his mother's home.

A drug dealer is witnessed brutally beating up a man by a single mother. Oleg asks Michael to help the woman, Cara, his best waitress, after she stops showing up for work.

Michael's friend, Bill, asks for the spy's help in freeing his daughter from a prostitution ring. Meanwhile, Michael dodges multiple assassination attempts.

Michael infiltrates a family of gunrunners who are pressuring an airport supervisor and his pregnant wife. The FBI begin to put pressure on Sam to gather more information on Michael.

Michael discovers a surprise aboard a boat he has retrieved from Jamaican gangsters. Meanwhile, a CSS agent urges Michael to stop his investigation into who burned him.

Michael works to rid a community in little Havana of a crime boss, all the while baiting Jason Bly at the risk of his family and friends.

With Michael's assistance, Fiona helps a man who has been framed for the theft of an expensive brooch.

A man's fiancée is kidnapped from the house he is looking after. Meanwhile, Michael is offered information on how he can clear his burn notice.

Michael is hired to track down a woman's estranged husband, who has disappeared with their son. Michael soon finds himself pitted against somebody just as skilled and dangerous as he is.

Sam takes on a case for a woman named Gillian, who is being blackmailed into using her security clearance to help smuggle heroin into the United States. Meanwhile, Michael is busy trying to arrange a meeting with Philip Cowan.

Michael must rescue Sam from heroin smugglers, who happen to be ex-Special Forces, while also evading agents who are out to get him.