Looking for Fourth of July fireworks? Make sure you know these state laws

The Fourth of July holiday weekend has become synonymous with fireworks going off into the summer air. But outside of professional shows that often put on dazzling fireworks displays, there’s a wide range of Americans who enjoy purchasing their own fireworks – which include Roman candles, sparklers, poppers, snakes, helicopters and ground spinners, among others.

The purchasing of less powerful fireworks – ones that don’t require a license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – as a consumer is not always so simple, however. That’s largely because fireworks are not always readily available, with state laws varying on fireworks all throughout the country and prompting consumers to often cross state or county lines to purchase certain types of fireworks that are outlawed in their home jurisdictions.

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States like Vermont and Illinois only permit the purchase of sparklers and novelty-type fireworks, outlawing all the main types of fireworks. Washington, D.C. is the same. Massachusetts, meanwhile, prohibits the sale of any fireworks altogether, even sparklers. And other states – Hawaii, Nevada, and Wyoming – allow each county to establish its own regulations.

Age restrictions also greatly vary by state, with Arkansas, Mississippi and North Dakota allowing children as young as 12 to buy fireworks. Data from emergency service company PuroClean shows that sparklers, often operated by children, account for more than one-quarter of reported fireworks injuries each year.

To sort through the complexities, here’s a rundown of the fireworks laws in every U.S. state, as outlined by the American Pyrotechnics Association and World Population Review.

Alabama (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Items that comply with regulations of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission; trick noisemakers.
Fireworks prohibited: Fireworks containing more than two grains of explosive composition, any mail-order fireworks.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

Alaska (legal)

Fireworks permitted: Roman candles, skyrockets, helicopter rockets, cylindrical and cone fountains, wheels, torches, dipped sticks, mines and shells, firecrackers with soft casings.
Fireworks prohibited: All fireworks not defined and salable consumer fireworks.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Arizona (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Ground based sparkling devices including fountains, multiple tube cake devices, illuminating torches, wheels, and ground spinners.
Fireworks prohibited: Aerial consumer fireworks, bottle and sky rockets, helicopters, torpedoes, roman candles, and jumping jacks.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

Arkansas (legal)

Fireworks permitted: Roman candles, skyrockets, helicopter rockets, cylindrical and cone fountains, wheels, torches, dipped sticks, mines and shells, firecrackers with soft casings, and novelties.
Fireworks prohibited: N/A.
Age in order to purchase: 12.

California (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Ground and hand-held sparkling devices, cylindrical and cone fountains, wheel and ground spinners, illuminating torch, flitter sparklers not exceeding 10 inches in length or ¼ in diameter, toy smoke device, party poppers and snappers.
Fireworks prohibited: Firecrackers, skyrockets, rockets, roman candles, chasers, all wire and wooden stick sparklers, surprise items, friction items, torpedoes, firework kits, and fireworks containing arsenic, phosphorus, thiocyanates magnesium, mercury salts, picric acid, gallates or gallic acid, chlorates (with some exceptions), boron, titanium, zirconium, gunpowder, and fireworks kits.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

Colorado (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Cylindrical and cone fountains, ground spinners, torches and colored fire, dipped sticks and sparklers, snakes and glow worms, trick noisemakers, and certain other novelties.
Fireworks prohibited: Firecrackers, aerial devices, audible ground devices.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

Connecticut (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Hand-held and ground based sparkling devices (non-explosive and non-aerial plus do not contain more than 100 grams of pyrotechnic composition).
Fireworks prohibited: All other consumer fireworks including multiple-tube sparkling devices that exceed 100 grams of total pyrotechnic composition.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

Delaware (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Wood stick and wire sparklers with no more than 100 grams of pyrotechnic composition; other hand-held or ground-based sparkling devices which are non-explosive and non-aerial, snakes, glow worms and smoke devices ; trick noisemakers – party poppers, snappers and drop pops.
Fireworks prohibited: Firecrackers, torpedoes, sky rockets, Roman candles, Daygo bombs and aerial shell devices.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Florida (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Devices approved and listed by the state fire marshal which emit a shower of sparks upon burning, do not contain any explosive compounds, do not detonate or explode, are handheld or ground based, cannot propel themselves through the air, and contain no more than 100 grams of the chemical compound that produces sparks upon burning; snakes, smoke devices, trick noisemakers, party poppers, booby traps, snappers, trick match.
Fireworks prohibited: Firecrackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, roman candles, Daygo bombs, and any fireworks containing explosive or flammable compounds.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Georgia (legal)

Fireworks permitted: All consumer fireworks meeting U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission criteria; Roman Candles; wire or wood sparklers of 100 grams or less of mixture per item; snake and glow worms; smoke devices; or trick noise makers – paper streamers, party poppers, string poppers, snappers, and drop props each consisting of 0.25 grains or less of explosive mixture.
Fireworks prohibited: Balloon, bag, parachute, or other similar devices which require fire underneath for propulsion or cause to be released; any floating water lantern or wish lantern which uses a flame to create a lighting effect in any public waterway, lake, pond, stream, or river.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Hawaii (determined by county)

Fireworks permitted: Items that comply with regulations of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Department of Transportation definitions. Permit required for each 5,000 individual units of firecrackers.
Fireworks prohibited: Aerial fireworks such as bottle rockets, sky rockets, missile-type rockets, helicopters, torpedoes, Daygo bombs, Roman candles, flying pigs, and jumping jacks.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Idaho (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Non-aerial fireworks devices, such as ground spinners, fountains, sparklers, smoke devices, or snakes.
Fireworks prohibited: Any fireworks not specifically permitted, such as firecrackers, jumping jacks, or similar products.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Illinois (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Novelty items including snakes or glow worms; smoke devices; trick noisemakers known as ‘party poppers’, ‘booby traps’, ‘snappers’, and sparklers.
Fireworks prohibited: Handheld fireworks, bottle rockets, firecrackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, Roman candles, chasers, buzz bombs, helicopters, missiles, pin wheels, planes.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Indiana (legal)

Fireworks permitted: Consumer fireworks that comply with the construction, chemical composition, and labeling regulations of the U.S. Consumer Products Commission.
Fireworks prohibited: N/A.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Iowa (legal)

Fireworks permitted: First-class consumer fireworks (aerial shell kits and reloadable tubes; chasers; helicopter and aerial spinners; firecrackers; mine and shell devices; missile-type rockets; roman candles; sky rockets and bottle rockets;and second-class consumer fireworks (cone fountains; cylindrical fountains; flitter sparklers; grand and hand-held sparkling devices, including multiple tube ground and hand held sparking devices; ground spinners; illuminating torches; toy smoke devices that are not classified as novelties.
Fireworks prohibited: N/A.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Kansas (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: All pyrotechnic devices classified as consumer fireworks by the Department of Transportation, except certain rockets.
Fireworks prohibited: Any rockets mounted on a wire or stick, including any device containing such rockets.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Kentucky (legal)

Fireworks permitted: Consumer fireworks that comply with the construction, chemical composition, and labeling regulations of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission including aerial devices including rockets and bottle rockets, helicopters, and aerial spinners, Roman candles, mines; Ground and hand-held sparkling devices (dipped stick or wire sparklers), cylindrical and cone fountain, illuminating torch, wheel, ground spinner, flitter sparkler,) smoke, novelties, and trick noisemakers, and audible ground devices.
Fireworks prohibited: N/A
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Louisiana (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Consumer fireworks as defined by the Department of Transportation and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, including: cylindrical fountains, cone fountains, illuminating torches, pyrotechnic wheel devices, ground spinners, flitter sparklers, toy smoke devices, sky rockets and bottle rockets, missile- type rockets, helicopter aerial spinners, Roman candles, mines or shells, firecrackers, and multiple tube fireworks.
Fireworks prohibited: Cherry bombs, tubular salutes, 2-inch American-made salutes, firecrackers with casings exceeding ¼ inches in diameter, repeating bombs, aerial bombs, torpedoes exceeding ⅜ inches in diameter, Roman candles larger than 10 ball, and sky rockets with a casing of less than ⅝ inches in diameter and less than 2 ⅞ inches in length, with an over all length of 15 inches.
Age in order to purchase: 15.

Maine (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Consumer fireworks items tested and certified by a third party laboratory as conforming with CPSC standards.
Fireworks prohibited: Missile type rockets, helicopters, aerial spinners, sky rockets, and bottle rockets, as defined by the state fire marshal.
Age in order to purchase: 21.

Maryland (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Sparklers containing no chlorates or perchlorates, ground based sparkling devices that are non-aerial non-explosive, and are labeled in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Snakes that contain no mercury and are not regulated by the Department of Transportation.
Fireworks prohibited: All other consumer fireworks.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Massachusetts (illegal)

Fireworks permitted: N/A.
Fireworks prohibited: Firecrackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, flares, candles, bombs, sparklers, wheels, colored fire, fountains, mines, and serpents.
Age in order to purchase: N/A

Michigan (legal)

Fireworks permitted: All consumer fireworks meeting CPSC criteria.
Fireworks prohibited: N/A
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Minnesota (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Wire or wood sparklers of not more than 100 grams of pyrotechnic composition per item; Ground-based sparkling devices which are non-explosive and non-aerial, and contain 75 grams or less of chemical mixture per tube or a total of 500 grams or less for multiple tube items and include: fountains, cones, illuminating torches, wheels, ground spinners, flitter sparklers, and novelty devices including snakes, glow worms, trick noisemakers, party poppers, and snappers.
Fireworks prohibited: Firecrackers, torpedoes, missiles, skyrockets, bottle rockets, Roman candles, Daygo bombs, mines and shells, chasers, and parachutes.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Mississippi (legal)

Fireworks permitted: Consumer fireworks as defined by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission containing 2 grams or less of explosive composition, including cone fountains, small Chinese crackers, small non-explosive Roman candles, and rockets; Non-explosive sparklers.
Fireworks prohibited: N/A.
Age in order to purchase: 12.

Missouri (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Consumer Fireworks in compliance with the regulations of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Fireworks prohibited: Ground salutes that exceed the Department of Transportation limits.
Age in order to purchase: 14.

Montana (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Items meeting the CPSC requirements, except for items specifically prohibited.
Fireworks prohibited: Skyrockets, roman candles, bottle rockets. Mail orders.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Nebraska (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Novelty items, snakes, and sparklers. Gold and silver sparklers (colored sparklers prohibited) spray fountains, torches, color fire cones, star and comet type aerial shells without explosive charge, lady fingers not to exceed ⅞ inches in length and ⅛ inches in diameter, total pyrotechnic composition not to exceed 50 mg. each, color wheels and any other item approved by Fire Marshal.
Fireworks prohibited: Rockets, unapproved wire sparklers, nighttime parachutes, firecrackers with more than 50mg of explosive composition, and other fireworks deemed unsafe by the state fire marshal.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

Nevada (determined by county)

Fireworks permitted: Fireworks designated as consumer fireworks in some areas only.
Fireworks prohibited: Dangerous fireworks, including large firecrackers, aerial displays and items that explode on impact or by friction.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

New Hampshire (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Consumer fireworks designated as “permissible Fireworks” which have been approved by the AFSL or other 3rd party testing agency including aerial devices, cakes, roman candles, ground spinner, party popper, snake/glow worm snapper, wheels and sparklers.
Fireworks prohibited: Firecrackers, stick rockets/missiles, and any device that produces solely smoke.
Age in order to purchase: 21.

New Jersey (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Wood stick and wire sparklers with no more than 100 grams of pyrotechnic composition; other hand-held or ground-based sparkling devices which are non-explosive and non-aerial, and which contain 75 grams or less of pyrotechnic composition per tube or a total of 500 grams or less for multiple tubes; snakes, glow worms and smoke devices and trick noisemakers, which include party poppers, snappers and drop pops, each consisting of 25/100 grains or less of explosive mixture.
Fireworks prohibited: All consumer fireworks not specifically permitted including torpedoes, firecrackers, skyrockets, aerial devices and fireworks containing yellow or white phosphorous or mercury.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

New Mexico (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: All items that comply with the requirements of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, except stick-type rockets having a tube less than ¼ inches inside diameter.
Fireworks prohibited: Municipalities may prohibit use of aerial and ground audible devices.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

New York (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Ground-based or hand held sparkling devices including cylindrical fountains, cone fountains, and wood sparklers/dipped sticks; party poppers, snappers.
Fireworks prohibited: Aerial consumer fireworks, firecrackers and chasers, skyrockets, roman candles, bombs, and metal wire sparklers.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

North Carolina (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Sparklers, fountains, smoke devices, snake and glow worms, trick noisemakers such as party poppers, string poppers or snappers, and toy pistol caps.
Fireworks prohibited: Explosives or aerial fireworks, Roman candles, and rockets or similar devices.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

North Dakota (legal)

Fireworks permitted: Star lights, helicopter flyers, cylindrical fountains, cone fountains, wheels, torches, colored fire, sparklers, dipped sticks, comets, shells, soft shell firecrackers not to exceed 11⁄2 inches in length and ¼ inches in diameter, total pyrotechnic composition not to exceed 50 mg each.
Fireworks prohibited: N/A.
Age in order to purchase: 12.

Ohio (legal)

Fireworks permitted: 1.4G consumer-grade fireworks, firecrackers, Roman candles, small pinwheels, fountains, and small aerial devices, trick and novelty items, smoke devices, and sparklers.
Fireworks prohibited: Display-grade fireworks.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Oklahoma (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: All consumer fireworks meeting the requirements of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, unless specifically prohibited. Novelties approved by U.S. Department of Transportation or deregulated by Department of Transportation.
Fireworks prohibited: Skyrockets, including bottle rockets or stick rockets, M-80s, mail order sales of fireworks, and door to door sales.
Age in order to purchase: 12.

Oregon (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Consumer fireworks obtained from an Oregon permitted retail stand, such as cones, fountains, and wheels.
Fireworks prohibited: Aerial fireworks such as bottle rockets and Roman candles. Also, any type of fireworks not obtained from an Oregon permitted retail stand. No internet purchases.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

Pennsylvania (legal)

Fireworks permitted: Consumer fireworks that comply with the construction, chemical composition and labeling requirements of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and comply with the consumer fireworks provisions of APA Standard 87-1.
Fireworks prohibited: N/A.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Rhode Island (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Hand-held and ground based sparkling devices including fountains, illuminating torches, wheels, ground spinners, flitter sparklers, sparklers and novelties devices.
Fireworks prohibited: Aerial consumer, display fireworks, and pyrotechnics, unless permits are obtained.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

South Carolina (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Aerial consumer, display fireworks, and pyrotechnics unless permits are obtained.
Fireworks prohibited: Small rockets less than ½ inch in diameter and three inches long.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

South Dakota (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: All fireworks that comply with U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations.
Fireworks prohibited: All consumer fireworks made wholly or in part of dynamite, nitroglycerin, or giant powder; firecrackers.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Tennessee (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Items meeting U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission requirements.
Fireworks prohibited: Illegal ground salutes and mail order purchase of fireworks by consumers.
Age in order to purchase: 17.

Texas (legal)

Fireworks permitted: All fireworks meeting requirements of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Department of Transportation consumer fireworks definitions, except for small rockets (less than 4 grams propellant, and casings less than ⅝ of an inch by 3 ½ inches and overall length including stick of less than 1.8 inches.
Fireworks prohibited: N/A.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

Utah (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Those fireworks sold at retail for consumer use and those not designated as Class C dangerous explosives. Aerial devices known as multiple tube, repeater, or cakes lit by a single fuse.
Fireworks prohibited: Firecrackers, bottle rockets, missiles, Roman candles, skyrockets, rockets mounted on a wire or stick, ground salutes, M-80’s, cherry bombs, aerial salutes, flash shells, comets, mines, single shot or reloadable aerial shells, aerials that contain over 500 grams of pyrotechnic material and other illegal explosives are prohibited.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

Vermont (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Sparklers less than 14 inches long with no more than 20 grams of pyrotechnic mixture. Novelty sparkling items limited to snakes, party poppers, glow worms, smoke devices, string poppers, snappers, or drop pops with no more than 0.25 grains of explosive mixture, and that are in compliance with CPSC regulations.
Fireworks prohibited: Firecrackers, skyrockets, Roman candles, torpedoes, and Daygo bombs.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Virginia (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Sparklers, fountains, pharaoh’s serpents, pinwheels, and whirligigs.
Fireworks prohibited: Firecrackers, skyrockets, torpedoes, and other fireworks which explode, travel laterally, rise into the air, or fire projectiles into the air.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Washington (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: As defined by the Department of Transportation not specifically prohibited unless prohibited by local ordinance.
Fireworks prohibited: Firecrackers, skyrockets, salutes, chasers, and bottle rockets.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

Washington, D.C. (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Sparklers less than 20 inches, torches, box fire, fountains, cones, dip sticks, non-poisonous snakes, paper novelty items, colored lights, and paper caps.
Fireworks prohibited: Firecrackers or fireworks that explode, such as cherry bombs, salutes, Roman candles, floral shells, and artillery shells.
Age in order to purchase: N/A.

West Virginia (legal)

Fireworks permitted: Sparkling devices (fountains, wire sparklers, trick noisemakers, smoke devices, snakes). Firecrackers, torpedoes, sky rockets, roman candles, bottle rockets, reloadable shells, missile-type Rockets, helicopter and aerial spinners, multi-aerial mine and shell devices, aerial shell kits.
Fireworks prohibited: N/A.
Age in order to purchase: 18.

Wisconsin (partially legal)

Fireworks permitted: Cylinder fountains, cone fountains, sparklers containing no magnesium, chlorate or perchlorate; snakes containing no mercury, small smoke devices.
Fireworks prohibited: Firecrackers, wheels, torpedoes, skyrockets, Roman candles, aerial salutes, and bombs.
Age in order to purchase: 16.

Wyoming (determined by county)

Fireworks permitted: Consumer Fireworks meeting requirements of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
.
Fireworks prohibited: N/A
Age in order to purchase: 16.