Charleston, SC Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

C. , makes it unlawful to use, fire, shoot, discharge, sell, offer for sale, store, exchange, give away or possess any fireworks anywhere inside Charleston's corporate limits. The ban applies to residents and visitors alike and covers ordinary consumer fireworks, roman candles, bottle rockets, firecrackers and similar devices; there is no seasonal or holiday carve-out written into the section. Two narrow paths around the ban exist. Section 13-192 lets a person hold a public fireworks display or exhibit, but only after obtaining written approval from the chief fire official, who has absolute discretion to grant, deny or condition the permit as needed for public safety.

Section 13-193 preserves the use of railroad, bus, truck and boat signal fireworks and protects common carriers lawfully transporting fireworks in interstate commerce or for delivery within the city. The only consumer-level exemption is for toy cap pistols and paper caps containing no more than twenty-hundredths of a grain of explosive mixture, and for sparklers, both of which remain permitted at all times under Section 13-191. The section traces to Code of 1975 Section 24-72 and has not been substantively amended since its original adoption.