Mariposa County, CA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

California's State Fireworks Law (Health & Safety Code section 12500 et seq.) divides fireworks into 'safe and sane' fireworks, which are legal statewide only where a local ordinance permits their sale and use, and 'dangerous' fireworks, which are illegal almost everywhere without a state display license or permit. State law lets cities and counties ban or further restrict fireworks. Mariposa County is entirely unincorporated, with no city authorizing safe-and-sane fireworks sales, so no consumer fireworks may lawfully be sold or used there. CAL FIRE's Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit (MMU), which protects the county, states plainly that 'all fireworks, including Safe and Sane, are illegal in Mariposa County.' During the Fourth of July, CAL FIRE Peace Officers patrol in force, and anyone caught with fireworks is cited and the fireworks confiscated. Because the county sits in steep, fire-prone Sierra foothill and mountain terrain that has burned repeatedly (2022 Oak Fire, 2018 Ferguson Fire, 2017 Detwiler Fire), igniting any firework can also expose a person to wildfire-liability and negligence charges if a fire starts. Residents who want to see fireworks are directed to permitted public displays, such as those historically held at Lake McClure, rather than buying or lighting fireworks themselves.