Monroe County, FL Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit lead time
- At least 30 days before event
- Setback from buildings
- 100 feet minimum
- Setback from hospitals/nursing homes
- One-half mile minimum
- Setback from residential zoning
- 400 feet minimum
- Insurance required
- $1,000,000/$2,000,000 general liability minimum
- Display time limit
- Four hours maximum per permit
Summary
In the unincorporated Florida Keys (Monroe County), Section 13-3 of the County Code requires a county fire marshal permit, filed at least 30 days ahead, for any fireworks display, and sets fixed distance limits: 100 feet from any building, a half mile from hospitals and nursing homes, and 400 feet from residentially zoned land, with each display capped at four hours.
(b)Supervision. Such fireworks shall not be displayed within:(1)One hundred feet of a building of any sort.(2)Or be conducted within one-half mile of any hospital, nursing home or nursing care center.(3)Or be conducted within 400 feet of areas zoned for residential use.(c)Time limit on permit. Any permit issued shall be for a time not to exceed four hours and shall state with certainty on the application where, during what hours and the time the display shall be exhibited.
Full Breakdown
02 to obtain a permit from the county fire marshal, applied for at least 30 days before the event on a form approved by the Board of County Commissioners. The sponsor must sign an indemnification and hold-harmless agreement covering the Board, and, if the display uses county property, get sign-off from the county administrator and the risk management office. S. Coast Guard's Sector Key West and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. 00. The display itself must be supervised by someone trained in pyrotechnics, with fire protection arranged as the fire marshal determines.
Section 13-3(b) sets fixed setbacks: fireworks cannot go off within 100 feet of any building, within a half mile of a hospital, nursing home or nursing care center, or within 400 feet of land zoned for residential use. A permit is good for no more than four hours, and the application must state exactly where and during what hours the display will run. The Board sets, by resolution, the fee that covers the fire marshal's review and required inspections.
Violations & Fines
Setting off fireworks without the county fire marshal's permit, or outside the permitted distance limits from buildings, hospitals or residential zoning, is a violation of Section 13-3 enforceable by the fire marshal and county code compliance. The section does not print a stand-alone fine schedule of its own; permit denial, revocation, and referral to code enforcement or law enforcement are the fire marshal's tools for an unpermitted or noncompliant display.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance must I apply for a Monroe County fireworks permit?
How close to buildings or homes can a fireworks display be set off?
What insurance does a fireworks permit applicant need?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monroe County
How Monroe County compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Monroe County to another location·View the Florida fire regulations overview
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