Long Beach, CA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- Ban covers
- all fireworks, not just "dangerous" ones
- Administrative penalty
- $1,000 per violation
- Disposal fee
- $250 if fireworks seized
- Host liability
- rebuttable presumption if present
- Appeal window
- 10 calendar days
Summary
Long Beach bans every kind of fireworks, not just the "dangerous" kind, inside city limits. Municipal Code § 8.81.020 makes it unlawful to possess, sell, use, display or explode any fireworks by whatever name known, with a narrow carve-out for licensed pyrotechnic displays under Chapter 18.48.720. Hosts who let guests set off fireworks on their property face a rebuttable presumption of knowledge and liability under § 8.81.050.
Except as otherwise provided in Chapter 18.48.720, no person shall possess, sell, use, display or explode any Fireworks as defined in section 8.81.010 A. or any kind of fireworks, by whatsoever name known, within the City of Long Beach. ... No host shall allow any person to violate a provision of this Chapter on the host's private property... Whenever a host is present at the private property while another person violates a provision of this Chapter, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the host knew or should have known of the violation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
030. 720. 040. 050 extends liability to property owners, tenants, landlords, and anyone organizing or supervising an activity on private property: if a host is present while a guest sets off fireworks, the law presumes the host knew about it unless the host called police or fire officials first to stop the activity, before anyone else complained. Hosts also can't aid or abet a violation happening in the public right-of-way adjacent to their property. 32, plus a flat $1,000 administrative penalty per violation and a $250 disposal fee if the Fire Marshal has to destroy confiscated fireworks. 65.
Violations & Fines
Violating the fireworks ban carries criminal sanctions plus a $1,000 administrative penalty per violation under Section 8.81.060, on top of a $250 disposal fee for confiscated fireworks. Violators and hosts are jointly and severally liable for the City's full emergency-response costs, billed within 30 days of a mailed notice; failing to pay or appeal within 10 days waives further review. Every violation is also a declared public nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are "safe and sane" fireworks legal in Long Beach?
Can a homeowner be liable for a guest's fireworks?
What does it cost if police and fire respond to a fireworks call?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
How Long Beach compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach 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.