Hillsboro, OR Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- Park/public-land ban
- HMC § 9.32.060(F)(5)
- Civic Center possession ban
- HMC § 9.40.040(B)(23)
- Event trigger
- Fireworks display = Special Event permit required
- Authorizing body
- Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC)
- Base penalty
- $500.00 per day under HMC § 1.08.010(B)
Summary
Hillsboro bans the use of fireworks in every City park and public land unless the Parks and Recreation Commission specifically authorizes it, and separately bans possessing fireworks or any other hazardous or destructive substance inside the Civic Center Complex. A special event that plans to display fireworks anywhere in the City must go through the special event permit process.
F.The following activities are prohibited within parks unless specifically authorized by this Code or the PRC:1.Camping;2.The production of live music;3.Organized gatherings or events involving 50 or more people unless they are within areas available for rent;4.Vending activities;5.The use of fireworks. ... B.In addition to the acts prohibited under HMC 9.40.040(A), the following acts are prohibited in the Civic Center Complex unless approved as part of an authorized activity:...23.Possessing a hazardous substance or destructive device that may cause personal injury or property damage including, but not limited to, fireworks;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 1 | Community Development Code: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
060(A). 005 extend the ban beyond park parcels to buildings, rights-of-way and Tri-Met property under City ownership or control. 040(B)(23) separately makes it unlawful to possess, within the Civic Center Complex, 'a hazardous substance or destructive device that may cause personal injury or property damage including, but not limited to, fireworks,' regardless of whether the fireworks are lit; simple possession is enough. 36. The nuisance chapter also treats fireworks as a public-safety hazard: HMC's nuisance provisions identify a 'fire hazard, as determined by the fire marshal or in violation of state laws concerning fireworks' as a condition affecting public safety that the City can abate as a nuisance.
Oregon's own fireworks law, enforced by the State Fire Marshal, separately restricts which consumer fireworks may be sold or used and bans bottle rockets, firecrackers and aerial fireworks statewide; Hillsboro's ordinances layer a local, place-based ban on top of that state framework rather than replacing it.
Violations & Fines
A park fireworks violation under HMC § 9.32.060 defaults to the Code's general penalty, HMC § 1.08.010(B): a $500.00 fine, with each day of a continuing violation punishable as a separate offense under HMC § 1.08.030. Fireworks possession in the Civic Center Complex under HMC § 9.40.040(B)(23) carries the same general $500.00 penalty absent a more specific provision. A property where fireworks create a fire hazard can also be declared a public nuisance and abated by the City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set off fireworks in a Hillsboro city park?
Can I just carry unlit fireworks near City Hall in Hillsboro?
Do I need a permit for a fireworks show at a private event in Hillsboro?
What's the fine for illegal fireworks use in a Hillsboro park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hillsboro
How Hillsboro compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·Compare Hillsboro to another location·View the Oregon fire regulations overview
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Fireworks in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Washington County handle fireworks.