4th Of July 2024 Fireworks Laws: What’s Legal In Illinois

ILLINOIS — While our surrounding neighbors in Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Kentucky, and Iowa allow sales of all or most types of consumer fireworks, Illinois is one of just three states to ban most fireworks. The exception here is the sale of novelties, including sparklers and smoke bombs, is allowed. Meanwhile, all fireworks are illegal in Chicago.

With the Fourth of July just a month away, local law enforcement agencies are stepping up enforcement of these fireworks bans. The Illinois State Fire Marshal prohibits the sale, purchase, and use of other popular July 4 fireworks devices. Among the fireworks that are considered illegal by state standards are handheld fireworks, bottle rockets, skyrockets, Roman candles, chasers, buzz bombs, helicopters, missiles, sky lanterns, firecrackers and other explosive devices.

In 1942, the Illinois' Pyrotechnic Use Act was passed to prohibit most fireworks in the state. Currently, violating the law will result in a Class A misdemeanor, with fines ranging from $75 to $2,500, according to the Illinois Policy Institute.

The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall requested hospitals and emergency treatment centers in Illinois to provide information about injuries associated with fireworks starting in January and ending in December.

During the July seasonal reporting period, 34 hospitals and facilities reported the following numbers for 2023: 108 total injuries and no fatalities. Comparatively, 44 hospitals reported 168 injuries during the same period in 2022. According to OSFM, there is no requirement for healthcare providers to report fireworks injuries.

The reported injuries were related to a wide variety of fireworks, including the following:

• mortars, 47 percent
• Roman candles, 13 percent
• firecrackers, 11 percent
• bottle rockets, 10 percent
• fountains, 4 percent
• M-80s, 4 percent
• sparklers, 4 percent
• smoke bombs, 4 percent

Nearly 50 percent of all injuries affected hands (21 percent), torso (13 percent), and eyes (14 percent). Lacerations were the leading type of injury at 21 percent, followed by second degree burns at 20 percent. Abrasions accounted for 15 percent of the injuries, and first degree burns at 13 percent. Dismemberment/amputation injuries decreased to 10 as compared to 20 in 2022.

In Illinois, if you're still thinking about participating with legal fireworks, those that are ground and handheld are okay, like sparkling devices, cylindrical and cone fountains, wheel and ground spinners, illuminating torches, and certain flitter sparklers.