Davis, CA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- Manufacture/sale
- Prohibited citywide, § 13.02.020
- Use/discharge
- Prohibited citywide, § 13.02.030
- Only exception
- Council-authorized public display
- Display approval
- Fire chief approves time/place/manner
- Adopted
- Ordinance 2303, 2007
Summary
Davis bans the manufacture, sale, use and discharge of fireworks of any kind within city limits, including so-called safe-and-sane fireworks. The only way pyrotechnics are legal is a council-authorized public display run by qualified operators.
§ 13.02.020. Fireworks—Manufacture and sale prohibited. The manufacture of fireworks and the possession or display of fireworks for sale within the city is prohibited. § ... 13.02.030. ... Fireworks—Use or discharge prohibited—Exception. The use or discharge of fireworks or substances designed and intended for pyrotechnic display within the city is prohibited; provided, that pyrotechnical displays may be authorized by resolution of the city council when under the control of qualified individuals and the time, place and manner of such display is approved by the chief of the fire department.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4915048; v22 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
02 defines fireworks broadly to include firecrackers, rockets, torpedoes, roman candles, toy pistols, toy cannons, detonating canes, blank cartridges, sparklers and squibs, along with any other device designed for pyrotechnic display. 020 prohibits manufacturing fireworks in Davis and prohibits possessing or displaying fireworks for sale within the city, so there is no carve-out for state-licensed safe-and-sane stands that many other California cities allow. 030 separately prohibits the use or discharge of fireworks or any pyrotechnic-display substance within the city. The only exception is a pyrotechnic display authorized by resolution of the city council, and even then it must be run by qualified individuals with the time, place and manner of the display approved in advance by the chief of the Davis Fire Department.
Because the ban covers sparklers and other devices often treated as harmless elsewhere, residents cannot legally set off any consumer fireworks in their yard, driveway or the street, even around the Fourth of July.
Violations & Fines
Violating Article 13.02 is enforceable through the Municipal Code's general penalty and administrative citation provisions in Article 1.02, and a fireworks violation can also be charged as a misdemeanor or infraction under the code's general penalty section, with police and fire personnel authorized to confiscate illegal fireworks on the spot. The Davis Fire Department and police department both have authority to cite violators, and each discharge is treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are safe-and-sane fireworks legal in Davis?
Can I set off sparklers in my own yard in Davis?
How does Davis allow a public fireworks show, such as on the Fourth of July?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Davis
How Davis compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·California rules heatmap·Compare Davis to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Fireworks in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Yolo County handle fireworks.