FIREWORKS SAFETY GUIDELINES FROM THE FAIR HAVEN POLICE DEPARTMENT

As the holiday approaches we would like to remind everyone to be as safe as possible if you choose to handle fireworks. With this in mind, please view the information listed below that covers restrictions and legality. On behalf of the Fair Haven Police department, Happy Independence Day!
 

New Jersey Fireworks Laws: What’s Legal and What’s Banned
New Jersey only allows sparklers and novelty items — most fireworks are banned, with real penalties for possession, use, or sales.

New Jersey bans virtually all consumer fireworks except a narrow category of ground-based sparklers and novelty items legalized in 2017. Buying, possessing, or setting off anything that flies into the air or explodes is a criminal offense, even if you purchased it legally in a neighboring state. The penalties split into two tiers depending on whether you’re caught using illegal fireworks or selling them, and the difference is substantial.
 

What’s Legal: Sparklers and Novelty Items
A 2017 amendment to New Jersey’s Explosives and Fireworks Act carved out a limited exception for low-risk, ground-level devices. The approved list includes three categories:

• Sparklers: Wood-stick or wire sparklers containing no more than 100 grams of pyrotechnic mixture per item.
• Handheld or ground-based sparkling devices: Non-explosive, non-aerial devices that may crackle or whistle, containing 75 grams or less per tube or 500 grams or less total for multi-tube items.
• Novelties: Snakes, glow worms, smoke devices, party poppers, snappers, and drop pops, each containing no more than 0.25 grains of explosive mixture.

That’s the complete list. If a device doesn’t fit one of those three categories, it’s illegal for consumers to buy, possess, or use without a permit. Retailers sell these approved items at supermarkets, convenience stores, and seasonal stands, though storage and sales practices must comply with National Fire Protection Association standards.

What’s Banned
Everything else. Anything that launches into the air, explodes, or shoots projectiles is illegal for general public use. That includes firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles, aerial shells, mortars, and any homemade or modified device. M-80s and cherry bombs have been federally banned for decades and carry additional penalties under federal explosives law.

The restriction isn’t just about the big stuff. Multi-shot aerial cakes, sky lanterns, and anything marketed as a “consumer firework” in Pennsylvania or other neighboring states with looser laws remains illegal to possess in New Jersey. The state draws a hard line: if it leaves the ground or detonates, you can’t have it without a permit.

Age Requirement: 16 and Older
You must be at least 16 to buy, possess, or use even the legal sparklers and novelty items. Retailers are expected to verify the buyer’s age, and selling sparklers to someone under 16 exposes the business to legal consequences.

The age floor exists for a practical reason. Sparklers burn at roughly 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is more than twice the ignition temperature of wood. That’s hot enough to cause severe burns in seconds, and young children lack the coordination to handle them safely. Nationally, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported approximately 14,700 fireworks-related injuries in 2024, with 11 deaths. Adults aged 25 to 44 accounted for the largest share of injuries at 32 percent, followed by the 15-to-24 age group at 24 percent.⁴ Even legal sparklers deserve respect.

Penalties for Violations
New Jersey’s fireworks penalties operate on two distinct tiers, and confusing them is easy because the original article floating around the internet often gets this wrong. The split depends on whether you’re a user or a seller.
 

Possession or Use of Illegal Fireworks
Buying, possessing, igniting, or setting off fireworks without a permit is a petty disorderly persons offense. The maximum penalty is 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. This applies whether you lit a Roman candle in your backyard or got caught with a trunk full of aerial shells you haven’t used yet. Possession alone is enough.

All information was gathered from New Jersey Fireworks Laws: What’s Legal and What’s Banned - LegalClarity Please visit the site for even more information.