Glendale, CA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- General rule
- All fireworks banned citywide
- Exception 1
- Fire-chief-permitted public displays only
- Exception 2
- Ceremonial/production blank cartridges
- Exception 3
- Signal torpedoes, flares, fuses
- Enforcement
- Seizure & destruction by fire marshal
- Governing chapter
- Municipal Code Ch. 8.16
Summary
Glendale bans the manufacture, use, possession, sale, discharge or storage of any fireworks citywide under Municipal Code Section 8.16.010, with only narrow exceptions such as fire-chief-permitted public displays. Illegal fireworks are subject to seizure and destruction by the fire marshal.
No person shall manufacture, use, possess, sell, discharge or store any fireworks within the city except that this section shall not prohibit pursuant to the State Fireworks Law, Health and Safety Code Sections 12500 et seq., and as hereafter amended, the use, possession, sale, discharge or storage of fireworks for the following purposes only:
A. Public displays by responsible groups and organizations which can provide adequate numbers of properly trained and licensed personnel, together with adequate facilities and sufficient physical and financial safeguards as will protect the city and the general public against personal injury and property damage pursuant to permits issued by the fire chief. Such displays shall be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the state Fireworks Law and such additional conditions as the fire chief may deem necessary or advisable to impose as requirements of such permits. Applications for such permits shall be filed with the fire chief, who shall investigate the applications and make decisions thereon;
B. Blank cartridges for bona fide ceremonial purposes, athletic or sports events for military ceremonies or demonstrations, for the production of motion pictures, theatricals or operas, or for construction purposes;
C. Torpedoes, flares or fuses for signal purposes or illumination in connection with the operation of motor vehicles, railroads or other transportation agencies. (Prior code § 15-6; Ord. 5934 § 1, 2019)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4983441; v20 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
010 flatly states no person shall manufacture, use, possess, sell, discharge or store any fireworks within the city, and it does not carve out an exception for so-called "safe and sane" fireworks the way many California cities do. : public displays by responsible groups with properly trained and licensed personnel and adequate financial safeguards, conducted under a permit issued and conditioned by the fire chief after the group files an application for the fire chief to investigate; blank cartridges for bona fide ceremonial, athletic, military, motion-picture, theatrical or opera purposes; and torpedoes, flares or fuses used for signaling or illumination in connection with motor vehicles, railroads or other transportation.
010 lists only those three narrow purposes as lawful. 020 backs this up on the enforcement side: any fireworks illegally sold, offered for sale, used, discharged, possessed or transported in the city are subject to seizure and destruction by the fire marshal, independent of any criminal case. The ordinance traces to Prior Code Section 15-6 and was last amended by Ordinance 5934 in 2019, confirming the ban has stayed current rather than lapsing into disuse.
Violations & Fines
Possessing, selling, discharging or storing fireworks without falling into one of the three narrow exceptions violates Section 8.16.010 and exposes the violator to seizure and destruction of the fireworks by the fire marshal under Section 8.16.020, in addition to whatever criminal penalty applies under the Municipal Code's general misdemeanor provisions and the state Fireworks Law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are safe and sane fireworks legal in Glendale?
What happens if I get caught with illegal fireworks in Glendale?
Can a community group hold a fireworks show in Glendale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glendale
How Glendale compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·California rules heatmap·Compare Glendale to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Fireworks in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle fireworks.