Flint, MI Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Fire Marshal
- Max penalty
- $500 fine / 90 days jail
- Confiscation limit
- 10 lbs (100 lbs licensed retailer)
- Permit minimum age
- 18
Summary
Flint bans sale, possession and use of firecrackers, bottle rockets and similar fireworks without a Fire Marshal permit, with narrow toy and out-of-state exceptions.
Except as provided in subsections (c)(2) through (c)(4), a person, firm, partnership, or corporation shall not offer for sale, expose for sale, sell at retail, keep with intent to sell at retail, possess, give, furnish, transport, use, explode, or cause to explode any of the following:
(1) A blank cartridge, blank cartridge pistol, toy cannon, toy cane, or toy gun in which explosives are used.
(2) An unmanned balloon which requires fire underneath to propel it and is not moored to the ground while aloft.
(3) Firecrackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, roman candles, daygo bombs, bottle rockets, whistling chasers, rockets on sticks, or other fireworks of like construction.
(4) Fireworks containing an explosive or inflammable compound or a tablet or other device commonly used and sold as fireworks containing nitrates, fulminates, chlorates, oxalates, sulfides of lead, barium, antimony, arsenic, mercury, nitroglycerine, phosphorus, or a compound containing these or other modern explosives.
(c) Exceptions. A permit is not required for the following:
(1) Flat paper caps containing not more than .25 of a grain of explosive content per cap, in packages labeled to indicate the maximum explosive content per cap.
(2) Toy pistols, toy cannons, toy canes, toy trick noise makers, and toy guns of a type approved by the Director of the Department of State Police in which paper caps as described in subsection (c)(1) are used and which are so
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2016 Code: Local legislation current through Ordinance 3821, passed 3-1-2012).
Full Breakdown
The City of Flint prohibits offering for sale, possessing, transporting, or exploding firecrackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, roman candles, bottle rockets, and similar devices, plus explosive-laden blank cartridges and unmoored fire balloons, unless a listed exception applies. Small exceptions cover flat paper caps, approved toy pistols, light sparklers, and fireworks shipped directly out of state. The Fire Marshal may permit fireworks use for agricultural pest control or public displays by approved organizations, and may permit resident wholesalers to stock fireworks for licensed resale, subject to bonding and storage rules.
Violations & Fines
Violating the sale/possession/use rules or a permit's terms is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and/or a $500 fine; police or the Fire Marshal may confiscate fireworks found in violation, including any lawful stock over 10 lbs (100 lbs for a licensed retail dealer) (§ 31-20.3(f)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set off firecrackers in Flint without a permit?
Are sparklers allowed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Flint
How Flint compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·Compare Flint to another location·View the Michigan fire regulations overview
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