Bloomington, IL Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

Chapter 10, Article XIII, cited as the Bloomington Fireworks Code, makes it unlawful under § 10-1304 for any person, partnership or corporation to knowingly possess, offer for sale, expose for sale, sell at retail, use or explode any display fireworks, flame effects or consumer fireworks in the City, with narrow exceptions carved out elsewhere in the article for licensed professional displays. Anyone who wants to run a professional pyrotechnic display must first be licensed as a pyrotechnic distributor or lead pyrotechnic operator under the state's Pyrotechnic Distributor and Operator Licensing Act, then apply to the Director of Economic & Community Development at least 15 business days before the event under § 10-1305.

That application requires proof of at least $1,000,000 in liability insurance, a $5,000 bond, a scaled site or floor plan of the ignition area, and a list of the pyrotechnic materials to be used; the city charges $250 for the first event at a location and $25 for each subsequent event at that same location within six months. Section 10-1306 requires the display site to be inspected before a permit issues, and indoor displays must occur in buildings with automatic sprinkler systems meeting State Fire Marshal and NFPA 160/1123/1126 standards.

The lead pyrotechnic operator must actively supervise the ignition, keep the permit on hand during the display, and conduct a post-display safety search for unfired materials before leaving the site.