Cupertino, CA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

010 borrows its definitions for fireworks, dangerous fireworks, and safe and sane fireworks directly from the state Health and Safety Code, Sections 12511, 12505 and 12529. 020 then bans all three categories outright: no person, firm, corporation or organization may sell or use any of them anywhere in Cupertino, a stricter local rule than the many California cities that permit state-approved safe-and-sane fireworks on a seasonal basis. 030 carves out a short list of exceptions unrelated to holiday celebrations: railroad and transportation signal devices such as torpedoes, flares and fuses; emergency signaling devices as defined in Health and Safety Code § 12506; blank cartridges used for ceremonial, athletic, sports, or military purposes; fireworks used in motion picture, theatrical, or opera productions; and fireworks merely being transported through the City in original packaging to or from a point outside city limits.

None of these exceptions let a resident purchase or set off consumer fireworks at home. 12 general penalty scheme, up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both. Because Cupertino's ban predates and exceeds anything required by the state safe-and-sane scheme, enforcement rests entirely on the local code rather than a state exemption, and the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department, which provides Cupertino's police services, handles illegal fireworks calls during the Fourth of July season.