Aliso Viejo, CA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- Firing method
- All displays electrically fired, regardless of shell size
- Fallout area
- Based on 100 feet per inch of shell size
- Permit diagram goes to
- Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA)
- Diagram must show
- Discharge point, buildings, roads, audience lines, trees, overhead obstructions
- Governing section
- AVMC 13.04.560, Fire Code §§ 5608.2 and 5608.3
Summary
In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 13.04.560 adopts Chapter 56 of the California Fire Code as amended by the State Fire Marshal and adds two local rules: every fireworks display must be electrically fired regardless of mortar, device or shell size, and the permit application must give the Orange County Fire Authority a site diagram showing a fallout area based on 100 feet per inch of shell size.
Chapter 56, Explosives and Fireworks, is adopted in its entirety as amended by the SFM with the following amendments: ... 5608.2 Firing. ... All fireworks displays, regardless of mortar, device, or shell size, shall be electrically fired. Section 5608.3 Application for Permit. ... A diagram of the grounds on which the display is to be held showing the point at which the fireworks are to be discharged, the fallout area based on 100 feet per inch of shell size, the location of all buildings, roads, and other means of transportation, the lines behind which the audience will be restrained, the location of all nearby trees, telegraph or telephone line, or other overhead obstructions shall be provided to OCFA.
Full Breakdown
The Aliso Viejo City Council adopted the 2025 California Fire Code in AVMC 13.04.005, and AVMC 13.04.560 takes Chapter 56, Explosives and Fireworks, in its entirety as amended by the State Fire Marshal. The city then adds two sections of its own for fireworks displays.
Section 5608.2, Firing, reads that all fireworks displays, regardless of mortar, device or shell size, shall be electrically fired. The rule has no size cutoff, so a small shell and a large shell are treated alike.
Section 5608.3, Application for Permit, sets what the applicant must hand to the Orange County Fire Authority: a diagram of the grounds on which the display is to be held. The diagram must show the point at which the fireworks are to be discharged and the fallout area based on 100 feet per inch of shell size. It must also show the location of all buildings, roads and other means of transportation, the lines behind which the audience will be restrained, and the location of all nearby trees, telegraph or telephone lines, or other overhead obstructions.
The Orange County Fire Authority is defined in AVMC 13.04.020 as the fire authority having jurisdiction, so it receives the diagram and administers the permit. Fire Code Section 305.6, added in AVMC 13.04.030, separately bars outdoor fires burning wood or other solid fuel when a red flag condition has been declared or a sign is posted by the Fire Code Official, and Section 327.2 restricts work producing sparks or open flames in Wildfire Risk Areas. In city parks, AVMC 11.10.310 requires every person to make the suppression and prevention of fire their first consideration and prohibits any negligent use of combustible materials.
Violations & Fines
Fire code violations carry penalties under the OCFA Prevention Field Services adopted fee schedule, and each day a violation continues after due notice is a separate offense (AVMC 13.04.010, Section 113.4). Permitting a fire or life safety hazard to exist is an infraction, and failing to take immediate action to abate one when ordered is a misdemeanor (Section 113.4.2). AVMC 1.06.010 sets a general misdemeanor fine of not more than $1,000 or six months in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aliso Viejo
How Aliso Viejo compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·California rules heatmap·Compare Aliso Viejo to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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