Battle Creek, MI Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

Section 618.20 prohibits the ignition, discharge or use of consumer fireworks anywhere in the City of Battle Creek except in five listed windows, each starting after 11:00 a.m. New Year's is the first: December 31 until 1:00 a.m. on January 1. The Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Memorial Day run until 11:45 p.m. on each of those days. June 29 to July 4 runs until 11:45 p.m. on each of those days, and July 5 is added until 11:45 p.m. if that date is a Friday or Saturday. The Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Labor Day close the list, again until 11:45 p.m.

The ban also binds property holders. No owner or occupant shall permit a person to ignite, discharge or use consumer fireworks on their property within the City except in those windows or as permitted under Section 652.07(c)(8), which the section cross-references as a further permitted case. The code defines occupant as any person having immediate control of private or public premises and owner as any person holding legal or equitable title to a property or to improvements upon it.

Definitions come from federal standards. Consumer fireworks are devices that comply with U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations under 16 CFR parts 1500 and 1507 and are listed in American Pyrotechnics Association standard 87-1, and the definition excludes low-impact fireworks. Display fireworks and homemade fireworks are separate defined terms.

The Fire Chief, his designees and sworn law enforcement officers are authorized to enforce the section. An enforcing officer who determines that a violation has occurred may seize the consumer fireworks as evidence, and after a final finding of responsibility the City may dispose of or destroy the retained fireworks. The noise chapter also lists the discharge of fireworks and explosives in Section 652.07(b)(12), cross-referencing the same permitted days. The section was last amended by Ordinance 05-2019, passed May 7, 2019.