New Year’s Eve is one of the few nights Georgia residents get extra time to light up the sky. While fireworks are legal in the Peach State, they come with strings attached. Know the rules before you start your own private fireworks show.
New Year’s Gets Special Treatment
State law gives revelers until 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day to set off fireworks. That’s an extra hour compared to every other day of the year, including July 4, when the cutoff is 11:59 p.m.
What You Can Light
Georgia law permits a wide range of fireworks. Firecrackers, Roman candles, bottle rockets, sky rockets, sparklers, smoke bombs, fountains, missiles, novelties, crackle and strobe effects, parachutes, wheels, spinners, sky flyers, display shells and mortars are all fair game.
Where You Can’t Shoot Them
Most Georgians can safely light fireworks from their own property without expecting a knock from law enforcement. But there are some hard limits.
State law prohibits fireworks within 100 yards of electric plants, water treatment facilities, waste-water treatment plants, gas stations, refineries, electric substations, jails, prisons, helipads, hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities.
Fireworks are also off limits in parks, historic sites, recreational areas, on roadways, near roadways and on other state property without authorization.
Check Your Local Rules
The state’s 1 a.m. cutoff isn’t the final word. Since 2018, city and county governments have had the authority to regulate fireworks through noise ordinances.
If your city’s noise ordinance prohibits loud sounds after 10 p.m., that’s your deadline—regardless of what state law allows.
Residents should check with their local government before planning any fireworks display.
One More Thing
During drought conditions, the governor has the authority to ban all fireworks statewide, though that is highly unlikely on New Year’s. It’s worth checking current conditions before stocking up.
