July 4, 2024 Fireworks Laws: What’s Legal in Which States?

A lax atmosphere around fireworks regulations is not universal. Some jurisdictions prohibit them in states where they are legal.

June 20, 2024 12:10 PM EDT

IN AMERICA – Home fireworks aren’t just for July 4 in many parts of the country, but before you start ordering fireworks, make sure you know your state’s laws regarding consumer fireworks.

Fireworks have been significantly deregulated over the last twenty years. Some types of fireworks are legal everywhere except Massachusetts. Many states also allow fireworks on the days either side of July 4 and on other major holidays.

However, a liberal atmosphere around fireworks regulations is not universal. In states that allow consumer fireworks, cities and counties can adopt more stringent codes and ordinances. In cases of extreme drought or high winds, your local fire department may prohibit the use of fireworks. Three states – Hawaii, Nevada and Wyoming – leave it to each county to decide where and what categories of fireworks are legal.

According to Reader’s Digest’s map and list of state fireworks regulations, the strictest fireworks regulations are in California. The law allows a limited window for fireworks from noon on June 28 to noon on July 6; limits their use to persons over 16 years of age; and also limits the types of fireworks people can buy.

Indiana has some of the most lenient laws. Anyone over 18 years of age can buy and use fireworks whenever they want, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on bank holidays and later on public holidays. All types of fireworks are legal as long as they meet the design and labeling requirements of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

States with stricter fireworks laws cited data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission showing that thousands of people are injured in fireworks-related accidents each year, and many deaths have been reported. According to the latest available CPSC data, approximately 10,200 people were injured and 11 died in fireworks-related accidents in 2022.

According to this report:

Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of 2022 injuries occurred in the weeks leading up to and after the July 4 holiday.
About 1,300 people were injured by fireworks and about 600 by sparklers.
About 38 percent people who were injured suffered burns, most often (29%) of hands and fingers, but also of the head, face and ears (19%), eyes (16%) and torso or other part of the body (12%).

If you are ordering fireworks for Independence Day, please follow these safety tips:

Do not allow small children to play with fireworks, including fireworks.
Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose nearby so you can quickly put out the fire.
Light the fireworks one at a time and move back quickly.
Never attempt to relight or pick up fireworks that have not lit properly.
Do not use fireworks if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Fireworks have always been a part of Independence Day celebrations. After the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that Independence Day “should be celebrated with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the second, from now on forever.”

The first Independence Day fireworks display took place on July 4, 1777. According to the Smithsonian Institution, they were only available in one color at the time – orange. Today they light up the sky with red, white and blue, the color of the US flag, but also other colors.

According to Scientific American, at the turn of the century, about one-third of fireworks displays were professional.

The gradual deregulation of fireworks was intended in part to take advantage of lost tax revenue from residents crossing state lines to purchase fireworks in states with more lenient laws, but also because of lax enforcement.