Riverside County, CA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- Unincorporated Riverside County only
- Covers
- All fireworks, including safe and sane
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine, 1 year jail
- Admin penalty
- $1,000-$5,000 per offense, per day
- Legal exception
- One county-approved July 4th sales site
Summary
Unincorporated Riverside County bans possessing, storing, using, or selling any fireworks, including "safe and sane" ones, with only narrow permitted exceptions for licensed public displays and an approved Fourth of July sale site.
General. No person shall have in his possession, or keep, store, use, shoot, discharge, set off, ignite, explode, manufacture, sell, offer to sell, give or transport any fireworks, dangerous fireworks, or safe and sane fireworks, except as set forth below in section 9.22.050 entitled "exceptions".
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 84 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
County Code § 9.22.030 makes it unlawful to possess, keep, store, use, shoot, discharge, ignite, manufacture, sell, or transport fireworks, dangerous fireworks, or safe and sane fireworks anywhere in the unincorporated county, with no general retail exception. Property owners who allow the conduct on land they control are separately liable, even without knowledge. The only carve-outs are a fire-chief permitted public display, a single county-designated safe-and-sane sales site on July 4th run by a licensed organization, and agricultural/wildlife fireworks. This applies only in unincorporated areas: incorporated cities like Riverside, Temecula, and Palm Springs set their own rules.
Violations & Fines
Misdemeanor: up to $1,000 fine and/or one year in county jail; repeat convictions carry the maximum fine plus a full year in jail. Separate administrative civil penalties run $1,000 first offense, $2,000 second, $5,000 each subsequent offense within 36 months, per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are safe and sane fireworks legal in unincorporated Riverside County?
Can a property owner be cited if a guest sets off fireworks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside County
How Riverside County compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside County to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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