Are Americans allowed to buy fireworks?

[Ms Naughty]

I'm writing an article that touches on the subject of fireworks and found myself at fireworks.com

And then I got jealous LOL

In Australia the June long weekend used to be about "bonfire night" and you could buy bags of fireworks at the local shops to let off on the night. It was FABULOUS, especially for a kid. I was a bit too scared to light the wick most of the time but it was still wonderful.

Of course, too many people blew themselves up so they banned the sale of fireworks about 20 years ago. Now you have to have a permit signed in triplicate and they can only be let off by official people wearing white suits, so bonfire night just doesn't happen anymore.

Did the same thing happen in the US? I see on TV that 4th July celebrations often have fireworks so it looks like your government hasn't taken away the fun yet.

[cd34]

The laws in each state are different. I believe South Carolina can sell many that do more than just sparkle. I know Florida can sell many, but I believe anything that 'explodes' may be under some restriction -- leaving Sparklers, fountains, smoke bombs, etc.

Ohio used to have some fairly relaxed rules.

That doesn't mean people don't get hold of what they aren't supposed to have.

We do have neighbors that seem to launch smaller versions of 'real' fireworks -- like small versions of what you would see at a real show.

[Mr. Blue]

It's not a federal law, but it's dictated by the States, etc, and local law. With that said...illegal in New York, but the hell any cop is going to enforce it seriously. You can readily get fireworks in China Town here and it's almost a tradition around my area to have amateur pyrotechnics, lol.

In fact, umm, my neighbor is a cop and he puts on one of the biggest displays every year.

The sad thing about this is that people are rarely injured with Fireworks, sure the idiot kid that blows his finger off is what you hear about on the news, and then everyone gets all up in arms and tries to ruin it for everyone. The funny thing about it is people will make a million friggin' laws for small things that rarely do any harm but will completely neglect the big issues that will really hurt their kids.

Example. Metal Lunchboxes are banned. What? Huh? Who? What? Some zealot PTA mom decides that metal lunchboxes can be used as a weapon. Oh the sharp corners, eek, danger. So all lunchboxes here end up being made of plastic now. It's a good thing they have plastic lunchboxes as the knives and guns that kids carry to school today will rattle less in a plastic lunchbox. That's the type of stupidity I just can't stand.

So yes illegal in a state by state thing, but rarely enforced.

[Trev]

Originally Posted by cd34

Ohio used to have some fairly relaxed rules.

Unless it's changed in the last couple of years (if I go by my neighbor I would say it hasn't) you can still buy fireworks here. The big ones.

But you have to sign a paper that says you are taking them out of state (something like that). After all... it's legal to sell them, but illegal to set them off here.

sometimes on the 4th my neighborhood looks like iraq during the bombing. A few people on the lakeshore get big time. It looks like mini-shows.

We did see a guy set his garage on fire a few years ago with roman candles. And, the neighbor set the grass across the street on fire.

[natalie]

Hey Grandma, did u get fireworks a few years ago when that loop hole existed in QLD? I bought a big bag of awesome ones cos we lived on acreage We had some great nights!

[Ms Naughty]

Last batch I had was bought in Canberra and we let them off on the road on New Years Eve 1999-2000.

I know there's a black market for them here because heaps of people take them to Fraser Island.

But I do wish we could buy them commercially.

[Greenguy]

Here in wonderful New York we can buy sparklers & snakes

[Cleo]

You could always buy some fertilizer and heating oil and make your own things that go boom.

Other then that what Greenguy said.

[Kinky]

they are illegal where I live but a 2 hour drive to Mexico and you can get some of the shadiest looking fireworks you will ever see... you gotta be really drunk to play with most of them as they look like a 5 year old made them..... which is probably who did make them, they look like some paper mache' on a twig and the fuses can be quite short...

[cockNballs]

I can cross the border into New Hampshire and get some, not sure exactly what or where though since I never have

I let other people light them and I watch, too much work lighting, running and ducking

[juggernaut]

I dont play with them anymore cause I was a little boy and well the cracker did not go off in my hand but I could not understand till it was to late why my dad was yelling "LET IT GO!!!!! LET IT GO!!!!" I did let the cracker go, but I forgot about the match. True story lol.

[Linkster]

Here in Mississippi - we can buy just about anything - in Tennessee you can definitely buy anything and they have huge warehouse stores that sell them along the Interstate Hwys.

However - in the town I live in in Miss, you could only set them off on New Years Eve and other holidays - it was against the law to set them off for the fourth of July (Independence Day in the US) as that was the day that U.S.Grant took over this town in the Civil Wat (1863) and not much has changed since two years ago we finally convinced the KKK to allow it here

[MadMax]

I once got arrested for "possession of fireworks" in Michigan. For a pack of bottle rockets...the regular little ones. Got pulled over for speeding by Robo Rookie and had them in the back seat. Absolutely ridiculous, but in Michigan it's up to each individual city, and in the particular city I was in at the time it's illegal to possess or set off any fireworks that leave the ground OR make a noise...leaving snakes and sparklers I guess. When I pointed out to the cop that I'd bought them at a roadside tent/stand less than 1/2 mile from his police station he didn't seem to hear me, though. You should've seen the look the judge gave the cop in court...turns out the judge bought his fireworks at the same stand

[plateman]

you can buy them in ohio if you sign a paper and say your taking them to another state and I still have a couple grocey bags and a few good sized boxes from two years ago from south carolina - was on vacation and the same dude still works at the same place for the last 4 trips and got a good deal, I remember my wife was pissed the whole back of your van was packed to the gills with fireworks and vacation stuff - LOL

if you want to make a big load noise and cheap and know how to weld and have a flat steal plate and a piece of small pipe - (and no NOT a pipe bomb) and it runs on masking tape and black power and a wick... and is 100% safe and ass kicking

[HappySmut]

fireworks warehouse stores in tennessee are awesome along with jack daniels factory you can have alot of fun getting drunk and blowing up cow pies

but has all things in jersey it sucks snakes and sparklers :-P

[docholly]

Amazingly enough.. or maybe not.. in Las Vegas anyway, you can carry a concealed firearm but you cannot have any fireworks.

That would keep people from watching the shows the various casinos put on.. thus keeping the $$ of the locals out of the slut machines.

of course like everything else, the police can't catch a bank robber or the University Rapist..but will put you in CCDC for 48 hours for having a roman candle.

Such is life in the land of fake believe.

did i mention the monorail broke again.. was down for 2 weeks.

[Thumbler]

Here in Georgia you can't buy fireworks, but you can buy guns and bullets. Fireworks are obviously far too dangerous!

[Jim]

Most firework companies will ship to any state. My mother used to buy a lot of them and I always thought it funny to see a huge box marked "Fireworks" just delivered on the front porch.

[Mr. Blue]

Originally Posted by Thumbler

Here in Georgia you can't buy fireworks, but you can buy guns and bullets. Fireworks are obviously far too dangerous!

It's the hypocrisy of some laws. If we had a firecracker lobby in Washington they wouldn't be illegal in any form.

Hmm, this thread made me want to buy some fireworks. Jumpin' Jacks will always be my favorite, followed by roman candles, and whistlers.

[SirMoby]

Maryland - any thing sparkles is illegale including sparklers.
Virginia - it can't fly and certain countries can sell up to 1/4 stick of dynamite.
South Carolina - It can fly and it can go boom. Hell, I think it's legal even if it can take out a plane.

[dareutwo]

Minnesota - you can't have anything really big. You can have Roman Candles and bottle rockets, but not the Big booming things. Some small firecrackers are allowed some aren't.
However, from here, Fargo North Dakota is 45 minutes. So we buy all our Big booming things there.
I'm thinking that Buddy will be doing the 4th this weekend.

If you don't smell like gunpowder and popcorn and spilled beer on the 4th, you didn't have a good time.
(of course that's after a day of fishing and water skiing)

[Chop Smith]

Linkster covered the laws here in my state. Since my closest neighbors are about 3 miles away and we are surrounded by over 2,000 acres of land, we can shoot fireworks year round. On the first of the year and July 4, we all chip in $100 and buy $1,800 worth of fireworks. We put them on a barge and pull it out in the lake. Sooner or later one of my drunk buddies will blow a foot off, but it will be worth it since it is a hell of a show.

[pornrex]

Originally Posted by Chop Smith

Sooner or later one of my drunk buddies will blow a foot off, but it will be worth it since it is a hell of a show.

Make sure you have the video camera ready for that.

[amber438]

Years ago, I knew Brooklyn who would take fireworks orders from friends then take the drive south to the Carolinas I guess to buy em and bring em back for 4th of July.

[Deva]

Fireworks = big $$$ for the American Indian Reservations in Washington State... but then again so do the casinos and cigarettes. I guess thats the governments way of saying "sorry"?