Fireworks Laws In MI: What's Legal On July 4th In 2026

Before investing in fireworks for the Fourth of July and the 250th anniversary celebration of the Declaration of Independence, Michiganders should check both state and local laws.

Both the types of fireworks consumers can possess and when they can buy and use them have been significantly deregulated over the past two decades. Many states also allow the use of fireworks on the days on either side of the 4th of July and other major holidays.

Fireworks use in neighborhoods can become contentious. In states with permissive fireworks laws, some cities and counties have set stricter rules, including bans on fireworks in certain neighborhoods, parks, beaches, downtown areas or fire-prone zones. Local restrictions may also change because of drought, dry weather or wildfire risk.

What's Legal In Michigan

The Michigan Fireworks Safety Act of 2011 allows the sale and use of consumer-grade fireworks in Michigan. The law was amended in 2018 to give local government entities, including villages, townships, and cities, the right to restrict the days and times residents can use consumer fireworks through the usage of a local ordinance.

State law requires the usage of fireworks to be allowed after 11 a.m. on these days:

• Dec. 31 until 1:00 a.m. on Jan. 1
• The Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day, until 11:45 p.m.
• June 29 to July 4, until 11:45 p.m.
• July 5, if it falls on a Friday or Saturday, until 11:45 p.m.
• The Saturday and Sunday before Labor Day, until 11:45 p.m.

Michigan law requires that consumer-grade fireworks only be ignited from personal property. It is illegal to ignite fireworks on public property (including streets and sidewalks), school property, church property, or another person’s property without their express permission.

It is also illegal to set off fireworks while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

When fire-related incidents involve a consumer, low impact, or illegal fireworks resulting in property damage, injury or death of another person, individuals are subject to a misdemeanor or felony punishable by imprisonment of not more than five years and fines of up to $10,000 or both.

But state law may not be the final word.

What Other States Allow

If you’re traveling, it’s a good idea to find out ahead of time what fireworks are allowed at your destination. The American Pyrotechnics Association says state fireworks laws fall into several broad categories.

States allowing all consumer fireworks: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

States and D.C. allowing “safe and sane” fireworks: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia and Wisconsin.

States allowing novelty fireworks only: Illinois and Vermont.

State prohibiting consumer fireworks: Massachusetts.

What ‘Safe And Sane’ Means

“Safe and sane” generally refers to hand-held or ground-based fireworks that do not fly into the air or explode. These may include items such as fountains, sparklers or other limited devices, depending on state law.

The exact rules differ by state. A firework that is legal in one state may be illegal in another. A firework that is sold legally in one community may also be banned in a neighboring city or county.

Fireworks Safety Tips

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that fireworks were involved in 14,700 injuries and 11 deaths in 2024. Those ER visits included about 1,700 seeking treatment for injuries involving sparklers. Adults ages 25 to 44 accounted for the largest share of injuries, followed by people ages 15 to 24. Hands and fingers were the most commonly injured body parts, and burns were the most common type of injury.

Federal safety officials recommend that consumers:

• Never allow young children to handle fireworks.
• Keep a bucket of water or garden hose nearby.
• Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
• Never try to relight or pick up fireworks that did not fully ignite.
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
• Douse used fireworks with water before throwing them away.
• Officials also warn that sparklers burn at extremely high temperatures and can cause serious burns.

Why Fireworks For The 4th

Fireworks have always been part of Independence Day celebrations.

After the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, that Independence Day “ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”

The first Independence Day fireworks display occurred on July 4, 1777. They came in only one color — orange — back then, according to the Smithsonian Institution. Today, they light up the sky with red, white and blue, the color of the U.S. flag, but also other colors.

At the turn of the century, about a third of firework displays were professional shows, according to Scientific American.

The gradual deregulation occurred partly to tap lost tax revenue from residents crossing state lines to buy fireworks in states with more lenient laws, but also because of lax enforcement.