What fireworks are legal in Minnesota?
MINNEAPOLIS — Rainy weather could shut down fireworks shows on July 4 and that might spark people to ignite their own backyard performances.
But before trying that in the North Star State we wanted to know: What fireworks are legal in Minnesota? Good Question.
Before colors burst in the sky, stores like Fireworks Nation in North Hudson, Wisconsin are nearly bursting with excited customers, many of whom are taking their haul back to Minnesota.
"You don't have to go far," said one Minnesotan who loaded up on fireworks for a show in his home state.
"This is of course our busiest week," said co-owner Anders Nelson.
He says that many customers ask questions about what fireworks are legal to use across the river from his store. There's even an entire section inside just with Minnesota-legal fireworks.
"The legal things in Minnesota are ground emitting showers of sparks. All these fountains, different sizes, sparklers, smoke, kids love the smoke," he said.
Legal fireworks in Minnesota
- Wire or wood sparklers: No more than 100 grams of mixture per item.
- Other sparkling items: Nonexplosive and nonaerial and contain 75 grams or less of chemical mixture per tube or a total of 500 grams or less for multiple tubes and include: fountains, ground spinners, illuminating torch, wheel, flash strobe.
- Novelty items: Snakes and glow worms, smoke devices or trick noisemakers which include paper streamers, party poppers, string poppers, snappers and drop pops, each consisting of not more than twenty-five hundredths grains of explosive mixture.
Essentially, if the fireworks stay on the ground and don't explode, they're legal in Minnesota.
"If it goes up in the air and explodes, it's going to be not legal in Minnesota," said Nelson. On top of that rule, anything that explodes is illegal.
Illegal fireworks in Minnesota
Here's the list of illegal fireworks according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety:
- Any fireworks that are explosive
- Any fireworks that are aerial
- Firecrackers (any size)
- Ladyfingers
- Sky rockets
- Bottle rockets
- Missile type rockets
- Helicopters, aerial spinners, planes, UFOs
- Roman Candles
- Mines or shells (heavy cardboard or paper tube(s) attached to a base – upon ignition stars, balls or reports are propelled into the air)
- Chasers
- Parachutes
- 1.3G Display (special or class B)
- Aerial shells
- Theatrical pyrotechnics (see Minnesota Statute 624.20 to 624.25)
The fireworks listed above are not permitted for sale, possession or use except with a permit by a certified operator, according to Minnesota Statute 624.20.
Where you light them also has rules. Fireworks aren't allowed on public property, including parks, which some revelers have made a mess of in recent years.
Those caught with illegal fireworks in Minnesota can have them confiscated and face fines of up to $3,000.
"It's very important that any firework you use, it's on a hard, flat surface and not on grass," said Nelson.
Other safety tips include:
- Only adults should light fireworks
- Have only one person lighting fireworks
- Keep water nearby
- Douse used fireworks with water before throwing away
- Never point fireworks at people
- Don't drink alcohol if you're lighting fireworks
For more information on fireworks laws in Minnesota, click here.
