New Haven County, CT Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

Connecticut has one of the strictest consumer fireworks laws in the United States. Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 29-357 prohibits the sale, use, and possession of fireworks except for limited sparklers and fountains. A person 16 or older may purchase, possess, or use sparklers and fountains containing no more than 100 grams of pyrotechnic mixture per item, provided the items are nonexplosive and nonaerial, do not contain magnesium (other than magnalium or magnesium-aluminum alloy), and that any chlorate or perchlorate compositions do not exceed five grams per item. When more than one fountain is mounted on a common base, the total pyrotechnic composition may not exceed 200 grams. All aerial fireworks, firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles, smoke bombs, party poppers, snappers, and 'snake' novelties are banned. Public fireworks displays require a permit from the local fire marshal under Sec. 29-357(c) and supervision by an operator holding a state certificate of competency issued by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection under Sec. 29-356a. New Haven County towns including New Haven, Waterbury, Meriden, Milford, Hamden, and West Haven enforce these state limits through their fire marshals; some towns have additional local restrictions on the use of even legal sparklers.