Are Fourth of July fireworks illegal or legal in your area? Here are the rules

If you are planning on buying any fireworks for the Fourth of July this year, be sure you know the rules!

We put together a list by jurisdiction of the laws of the DMV when it comes to setting off fireworks any time of the year.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Source: DC Metropolitan Police Department

Prohibited

• Sparklers longer than 20-inches 
• Firecrackers of any kind
• Any firework that explodes. This includes, but is not limited to: Roman candles, cherry bombs, salutes, floral shells, artillery shells.
• Bottle rockets, parachutes, buzzbombs, pinwheels, helicopters, jumping jacks
• Any firework that contains mercury, arsenic, tetryl, phosphorous, sulphocyanide, magnesium, potassium picrate, gallic acid, chlorate of potash and sugar.
• Any firework having a side fuse, or a fuse inserted at any point along the length of the firework

Allowed

• Sparklers up to 20-inches in length
• Toy paper caps containing no more than .25 of a grain of explosive
• Torches, cones
• Dip-sticks, non-poisonous snakes
• Paper novelty items, colored lights

MARYLAND

Source: Maryland State Police/State Fire Marshal

ALL fireworks, including sparklers, are illegal in Montgomery & Prince George’s counties, and Baltimore City. 

Ground-based sparklers are not allowed in Ocean City, Howard & Harford counties.

As for the rest of the state:

Prohibited

Any fireworks that explode, launch or move on the ground are illegal in Maryland. This includes: 

• Firecrackers
• Cherry Bombs
• Black Cats
• M-80’s
• Crackling Balls
• Smoke Bombs
• Roman Candles
• Bottle Rockets
• Sky Rockets
• Helicopter-style Rockets
• Spinning Wheels
• All fireworks shot from a mortar-like tube

Allowed

• Gold-labeled sparklers
• Party poppers
• Snap pops
• Snakes 
• Ground based sparkler devices

They should all be non-aerial and non-explosive

VIRGINIA

Source: State Fire Marshal and Virginia Department of Forestry

ALL fireworks, including sparklers, are illegal in Alexandria City & Falls Church City.

As for the rest of the Commonwealth:

Prohibited

• Fireworks that explode in the air, travel laterally or project into the air, or fire projectiles into the air
• Firecrackers
• Cherry Bombs
• Skyrockets
• Bottle Rockets
• Torpedoes

Allowed

• Sparklers
• Fountains (ground based)
• Pharaoh’s Serpents
• Pinwheels
• Whirligigs