Arizona Fireworks Guide

With every state having a complex set of firework laws, Arizona is no difference when it comes to which fireworks are legal, and which fireworks are illegal. To make it more confusing, Arizona passed a bill in April last year creating tiers for fireworks, dates permissible for use, and an outright prohibition on counties from banning fireworks. One thing that is clear: violation of the fireworks law will land you a fine up to $1000, and a class 1 misdemeanor. The Arizona Fireworks Guide shows you what you need to know about using fireworks during July 4^th.

Prohibitions on Bans

The firework bill expressly prohibited counties, and cities within those counties, from banning fireworks. There is a catch: those counties must have populations of over 500,000 people. Thus, smaller counties are exempt from the outright prohibition of banning fireworks, and are free to institute a ban.

Restricted Use and Sale

Fireworks and the desert just don’t mix. That is why the firework bill sought to restrict the use of fireworks throughout the year. This also helps limit safety issues, as well. Unfortunately, the bill has two separate timeframe categories: sale and use. Further, of those two categories, the timeframes don’t always overlap (still with me?). Therefore, it is extremely easy for an Arizonan to find trouble with the law. Here are the dates to know:

Permitted Sale: May 20 – July 6; Dec 10 – Jan 3
Permitted Use: June 24 – July 6; Dec 24 – Jan 3

Fireworks—Legal and Illegal

Fireworks come in a large variety. Consequently, Arizona sought to create three categories of fireworks to help consolidate all the varieties, and square it with the bill’s restricted use and sale time frames. As seen in the Arizona Fireworks Guide, these categories come in green, yellow, and red: fireworks in the green category are available for use and sale all year; fireworks in the yellow category are restricted to the seasonal time frame, as annotated above, and; fireworks in the red category are completely prohibited. Below is a picture as a guide:

As a friendly reminder, the Law Offices of Michael Cordova remind you to be safe when using fireworks. All fireworks, including novelties like sparklers, may cause injury if used in a manner inconsistent with proper use. Should you, or a loved one, find yourself injured by someone else’s improper use of fireworks it is important to contact an attorney immediately to review your case.