COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – While Ohio law allows residents to set off fireworks on the Fourth of July, a variety of local municipalities have ordinances that ban them.
Ohioans can legally set off consumer-grade fireworks on certain holidays, unless limited by local legislation. State law allows residents to light fireworks on July 3, 4 and 5 – as well as the Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays immediately before and after Independence Day – from 4 to 11 p.m.
Fireworks must be lit on residents’ own property, or on the property of someone who has given them explicit permission. Only fireworks purchased from a licensed retailer within the state are allowed to be discharged in Ohio.
No one under 18 years old is allowed to light or handle the fireworks, or be within 150 feet of the discharge point. State law also bars residents from lighting off fireworks while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Aerial devices, such as Roman candles and bottle rockets, cannot be discharged within 150 feet of spectators, and nonaerial devices, such as fountains and firecrackers, cannot be discharged within 50 feet of spectators.
A variety of central Ohio municipalities have enacted legislation that bans fireworks, making it illegal to light them within their boundaries. Licensed fireworks exhibitors may be able to put on shows if they get approval from local officials. Residents are generally banned from lighting fireworks in the following places:
- Bexley
- Canal Winchester
- Columbus
- Delaware
- Dublin
- Gahanna
- Grandview Heights
- Grove City
- Groveport
- Hilliard
- Marysville
- Pickerington
- Upper Arlington
- Westerville
- Worthington
Obetz, Powell and New Albany allow residents to light fireworks under the guidelines in state law. Reynoldsburg also permits fireworks, but only on the Fourth from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Municipalities that allow fireworks may have further guidelines or restrictions, so residents should check their local ordinances to ensure they are following all rules.
Ohio law also allows fireworks to be set off — in municipalities that allow it — on the following holidays:
- Labor Day weekend from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Diwali from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- New Year’s Eve from 4 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
- New Year’s Day from 12 a.m. to 1 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Chinese New Year from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Cinco de Mayo from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Memorial Day weekend from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Juneteenth from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Most first-time violations of the state’s fireworks law are considered a first-degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000.
