As we head into the Fourth of July this year, fireworks will resonate throughout the night sky each night of the long weekend.
While fireworks are legal in Georgia, that doesn’t mean they are completely unregulated. Before you decide to wow your family and neighbors with fireworks, it is a good idea to know the laws the state has in place regarding fireworks.
Here is a quick list of what you need to know before you shoot of fireworks on the fourth.
When can you shoot fireworks in Georgia?
You can set off fireworks on normal days until 11:59 p.m. This include’s July 4. On New Year’s Eve, you can shoot off fireworks until 1 a.m. Local governments are may have tighter restrictions in their noise ordinances on other days of the year, but the state law trumps local ordinances on July 3 and 4.
What fireworks are legal in Georgia?
Firecrackers, Roman candles, bottle rockets, sky rockets, sparklers, smoke, fountains, missiles, novelties, crackle, strobe, parachutes, wheels, spinners, sky flyers, display shells, and mortars.
Where are fireworks not legal?
For most Georgians, shooting off fireworks from home isn’t going to result in a visit from the Sheriff. However, there are some locations you definitely can’t shoot fireworks at and if your home happens to be too close to one of these locations, you’ll need to go elsewhere for your pyrotechnic activities.
It’s illegal to use fireworks within 100 yards of an electric plant, water treatment plant, waste-water treatment plant, gas station, refinery, electric substation, jail or prison, helipad, hospital, nursing home or other health care facility.
It’s also illegal to set off fireworks within any park, historic site, recreational area, close to the roadway, in the roadway, or on other state property, without authorization.
A couple of other exceptions:
If there is a drought, the governor can forbid the use of any and all fireworks.
You should always check with local governments, to make sure there aren’t any instituted local ordinances pertaining to noise ordinances. In 2018, lawmakers gave city and county governments the right to regulate fireworks as part of a noise ordinance. The 3rd and 4th of July are exempt from local ordinances, but if you are shooting fireworks any other day, you need to know your local laws.
