Appleton, WI Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

Section 10-5 of the Appleton Municipal Code adopts Wis. 10 by reference, exclusive of its penalty provision, so the state's ban on general consumer fireworks applies inside the city as a Code violation rather than only a state charge. The only path to a legal fireworks display is a Mayor-issued permit under § 10-5(b), available to public authorities, fair associations, amusement parks, park boards, civic organizations and other groups for use in open fields, parks, rivers, lakes and ponds. Every application is referred to the Fire Chief for investigation, and the Mayor cannot grant the permit unless the Fire Chief's report supports that the applicant will run a public exhibition, that reasonable precautions protect the lives and property of everyone nearby, and that a competent operator will run the display in a suitable, safe location.

Because the ordinance excludes the state statute's penalty clause and instead relies on the city's own citation and general-penalty structure, a person caught selling or discharging fireworks outside a Mayor-approved permit is prosecuted municipally under § 1-16: a first offense forfeits between $1 and $200 plus costs of prosecution, with $10 to $500 for a second or later offense for the same violation, and unpaid forfeitures can mean jail time in county jail in default of payment. Officers issue citations under the city's general citation procedure in § 1-17, and the accused can post a cash deposit under the schedule in § 1-18 to resolve the matter without a court appearance.