July 4th 2017: Which Fireworks Are Legal In Georgia

ATLANTA, GA — For the Fourth of July, many folks like to put on their own fireworks show instead of heading to one of the many professional displays planned in the area.

If you're in the metro Atlanta area, you've got more options than you used to — legally, anyway. In the past couple of years, Georgia lawmakers have eased up on fireworks restrictions in the state.

You can buy fireworks in Georgia that you used to have to head to Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee or another neighboring state to purchase. And the General Assembly has fine-tuned laws on when, where and how you can conduct your own personal display.

As July 4th approaches, here's a look at fireworks laws and rules in Georgia:

• For roughly the past decade, Georgia has allowed the sale of sparklers, small fountains and other non-explosive fireworks. But, in 2015, a new law loosened restrictions on the kind of fireworks that could be sold. Now, bottle rockets, firecrackers, Roman candles and other fireworks are available for sale in the state.
• A person must be 18 years old or or older in order to purchase fireworks in Georgia. No one under 16 may hold or use fireworks, according to the law. Individuals aged 16 to 17 years may be in possession of fireworks only when serving as an assistant to a licensed distributor or certain not-for-profit organizations, and they cannot at any time transport fireworks on interstate highways.
• Statewide in Georgia, the law states that fireworks may only be used between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. on most nights. There are exceptions on days like New Year's Eve and the Fourth of July, when the cutoff is extended to 1 a.m (New Year's) and midnight (Fourth of July). Local governments may vote to extend those hours.
• Fireworks may not be fired on roads or highways, or within 100 yards of a hospital, nursing home or prison.
• They may not be used in a park, historic site, recreational area or other property owned by the city or county unless special permission has been granted.
• Fireworks can't legally be set off by anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• They can't be fired indoors, or within 100 yards of a nuclear power facility, gas station, electric plant, water treatment plant, waste-water treatment plant, any public or private substation.

The nonprofit National Council on Fireworks Safety offers the following fireworks safety tips:

• Know your fireworks. Read the caution labels and performance descriptions before igniting.
• Wear safety glasses when shooting fireworks.
• Light one firework at a time and then quickly move away.
• Never relight a "dud" firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
• Always have a bucket of water and charged water hose nearby.
• Dispose of spent fireworks by wetting them down and place in a metal trash can away from any building or combustible materials until the next day.
• Don’t bring your pets to a fireworks display, even a small one.
• If fireworks are being used near your home, put your pet in a safe, interior room to avoid exposure to the sound.
• Make sure your pet has an identification tag, in case it runs off during a fireworks display.

Photo via Pixabay