Brentwood, CA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- Ban section
- § 8.48.020, use/possession/sale/storage banned
- Safe-and-sane fireworks
- Not exempted, banned like all others
- Legal exceptions
- Snap caps, party poppers, highway flares
- Permitted display
- Needs special event permit plus fire permit
- Adopted
- Ordinance 966 (2016), updated by Ord. 1075 (2024)
Summary
Brentwood bans using, possessing, discharging, selling, storing or making fireworks anywhere in the city under Section 8.48.020, with no exception for so-called safe-and-sane fireworks. The only carve-outs in Section 8.48.030 are snap caps and party poppers, red highway flares, State Fire Marshal-approved industrial or agricultural items under permit, and a city-permitted public display.
§ 8.48.010. Definition. ... In this chapter "fireworks"means a device containing chemical elements and chemical compounds capable of burning independently of the oxygen of the atmosphere and producing audible, visual, mechanical, or thermal effects which are useful as pyrotechnic devices or for entertainment. § ... 8.48.020. ... Prohibition. It is unlawful for any person to use, possess, discharge, offer for sale, store, or manufacture any fireworks in the city, unless under an exception set forth in Section 8.48.030. § ... 8.48.030. ... Exceptions. Exceptions to this chapter are: A. Snap caps and party poppers (classified by the State Fire Marshal as pyrotechnic devices). ... ... D. A public fireworks display event authorized by the city under a special event permit, if that special event permit also includes a permit for fireworks issued by the city under the California Fire Code as amended by Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, or by the current fire services provider under the California Fire Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4604307; v5 updated 2025-12-09).
Full Breakdown
010 defines "fireworks" the way state law does, borrowing from Health and Safety Code Section 12511: any device with chemical elements or compounds that burns on its own without atmospheric oxygen and produces audible, visual, mechanical or thermal pyrotechnic or entertainment effects, a definition the chapter says includes torpedoes, skyrockets, roman candles, rockets, Daygo bombs, sparklers, paper caps, chasers, fountains, smoke sparks, aerial bombs, and fireworks kits, not just the obvious rockets and firecrackers. 030 applies, which puts Brentwood well past the "safe and sane" fireworks some California cities still allow retail sales of around the Fourth of July.
The exceptions are narrow. Snap caps and party poppers, which the State Fire Marshal classifies as pyrotechnic devices rather than fireworks, stay legal, and red highway flares used as warning devices are exempt too. An item the State Fire Marshal has determined is limited to industrial, commercial or agricultural use can be used only under a permit the city issues through the California Fire Code as amended by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, or whichever agency currently provides fire services. A public fireworks display needs both a special event permit and a separate fireworks permit issued the same way.
Ordinance 966 adopted the ban in 2016, and Ordinance 1075 updated the industrial-use and display exceptions in 2024 to reflect the county's current fire services provider.
Violations & Fines
Brentwood's fireworks chapter has no penalty section of its own, so a violation of Section 8.48.020 falls under the citywide enforcement menu in Section 1.16.010: the city can pursue a criminal misdemeanor under Chapter 1.20, an administrative citation under Chapter 1.24, or civil remedies, and each day the fireworks are possessed or stored counts as its own separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are safe-and-sane fireworks legal in Brentwood?
Can I light sparklers in Brentwood?
How can a group hold a legal fireworks show in Brentwood?
What happens if someone is caught with illegal fireworks in Brentwood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brentwood
How Brentwood compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·California rules heatmap·Compare Brentwood to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Fireworks in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Contra Costa County handle fireworks.