Medina, OH Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- General rule
- Discharge banned citywide except licensed exhibitions
- Consumer exception
- 1.4G fireworks, listed holidays, private property only
- Minimum age to buy
- 18
- Penalty
- First-degree misdemeanor, up to $1,000/6 months
- Local authority
- City may further restrict or ban consumer dates
- Adopted
- Ordinance 183-24, passed October 15, 2024
Summary
Section 1519.04(b) makes it unlawful to discharge, ignite or explode any fireworks anywhere in Medina unless conducted by a licensed exhibitor at a permitted public display, or under the narrow consumer exceptions in subsection (h). A first violation is a first-degree misdemeanor with up to $1,000 in fines and six months in jail.
Except as provided in subsection (h) and Section 1519.05 or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance, and except for licensed exhibitors of fireworks authorized to conduct a fireworks exhibition pursuant to Ohio R.C. 3743.50 through 3743.55 or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance, no person shall discharge, ignite or explode any fireworks in this municipality. ... Whoever violates any provision of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree for a first offense and shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisoned not more than six months or both.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025-01: Local legislation current through June 24, 2025 | State legislation current through December 31, 2024).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 1519, adopted by Ordinance 183-24 on October 15, 2024, controls who may possess, sell or set off fireworks anywhere in Medina. 04(a) bars possessing or selling fireworks in the City to anyone who is not a licensed manufacturer, wholesaler, shipping permit holder, licensed fountain device retailer or licensed exhibitor under the specific Ohio Revised Code license chapters named in the section. 04(b) separately bars discharging, igniting or exploding any fireworks in Medina outside of a permitted public exhibition conducted by one of those licensed exhibitors, subject to the narrow consumer carve-out in subsection (h).
4G consumer fireworks from a licensed retailer, manufacturer or wholesaler set them off on private property, with the owner's authorization, only on a fixed list of dates: January 1, Chinese New Year, May 5, the last Monday in May and the preceding weekend, June 19, July 3 through 5 and the first Friday-Saturday-Sunday around July 4, the first Monday in September and preceding weekend, Diwali, and December 31. Subsection (h)(4) also lets Medina restrict the hours or dates on those permitted days, or ban consumer discharge entirely, and none of it limits the City's separate noise and disorderly-conduct ordinances.
Selling to anyone under eighteen, letting a minor into a sales showroom unaccompanied, or discharging fireworks while intoxicated or on someone else's property without permission are each separately prohibited under subsections (d) through (g). 99.
Violations & Fines
A first offense under Chapter 1519, whether unlicensed possession, an unauthorized discharge, or selling to a minor, is a first-degree misdemeanor under Section 1519.99, carrying up to a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail. Discharging fireworks while intoxicated or without the property owner's permission is prosecuted under subsections (f) and (g) even where the fireworks themselves were lawfully purchased.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I legally set off fireworks in my backyard on the Fourth of July in Medina?
What is the penalty for setting off fireworks outside the allowed dates?
Can Medina ban consumer fireworks even on the state-approved holidays?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Medina
How Medina compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·Compare Medina to another location·View the Ohio fire regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.