Pinellas County, FL Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- General rule
- Sale and use of fireworks banned
- Permit source
- Pinellas County Fire Authority
- Record retention
- 4 years at point of sale
- First permit suspension
- 14 days after 2nd conviction
- Repeat suspension
- 30 days within 24 months
- Municipal override
- City ordinance controls if conflicting
Summary
Selling, exposing for sale, using or exploding fireworks anywhere in Pinellas County is illegal under Code § 62-85(a) except for narrow exemptions in state law or a county fire-authority permit. Sellers must verify every buyer's identification and, where required, their state registration, and keep sales records on site for four years.
Except as provided in F.S. §§ 791.02, 791.04, or 791.07, or under division 2 of this article, it shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, or corporation to offer for sale at wholesale or retail, expose for sale at wholesale or retail, or use or explode any fireworks within the county.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 124).
Full Breakdown
Pinellas County Code § 62-85(a) states: 'Except as provided in F.S. §§ 791.02, 791.04, or 791.07, or under division 2 of this article, it shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, or corporation to offer for sale at wholesale or retail, expose for sale at wholesale or retail, or use or explode any fireworks within the county.' The exceptions referenced allow shipment out of state, agricultural bird-frightening devices, and permitted public displays under Division 2 of the article.
Any wholesaler, retailer, distributor or manufacturer must first get a permit from the Pinellas County Fire Authority (§ 62-89), display it at every sale site, and register with the state fire marshal's division under F.S. § 791.015. At the point of sale, the seller must collect identification from every purchaser and, where the transaction requires it, proof of state registration or the exemption basis, and must keep those sales records, including the buyer's name, address and identifier, on site for four years (§ 62-85(c), (d), (j)). Sparklers get a narrower carve-out: they can be stored and sold under the county's zoning, fire-prevention and licensing laws without the full fireworks permit, but manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers of sparklers still must register with the state fire marshal (§ 62-84). This article applies throughout the incorporated and unincorporated county, 'unless a municipality adopts an ordinance which conflicts with this division, in which case the municipal ordinance shall prevail' (§ 62-83).
Violations & Fines
Violating the fireworks article is punishable under § 1-8, subjects an offender to arrest under F.S. § 901.15, and is prosecuted under F.S. § 125.69 (§ 62-82(a)). Law enforcement can immediately order a business to stop selling fireworks that lack all required permits until the seller secures its inventory off site (§ 62-82(b)). A seller convicted twice within 12 months has its permit suspended, 14 days for the first suspension and 30 days for a later violation within 24 months (§ 62-82(c)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Are fireworks illegal to use in Pinellas County?
Can I buy sparklers in Pinellas County without a fireworks permit?
What happens if a store sells fireworks without the required permit?
Does a Pinellas County city's own fireworks rule override the county code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pinellas County
How Pinellas County compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pinellas County to another location·View the Florida fire regulations overview
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