Montgomery, AL Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- General rule
- Possessing or using fireworks is unlawful citywide
- Lawful exception
- City-reviewed public or private display only
- Display standard
- NFPA 1123 (2018) and 2021 International Fire Code
- Display fee
- Set by Montgomery Fire/Rescue fee schedule
- Default penalty
- $1.00-$500.00 fine or up to 6 months jail
Summary
Montgomery bans possessing, storing, selling, or setting off fireworks anywhere in the city, with no exception for backyard use. The only legal way to set off fireworks is a permitted public or private display reviewed by the fire official under NFPA 1123 and the 2021 International Fire Code, run by an approved operator and paid for through the Fire/Rescue fee schedule.
Sec. 13-8. - Fireworks. (a)It shall be unlawful for any person to possess, store, offer for sale, sell at retail, or use or explode any fireworks. Any fireworks shall include any fireworks as defined by the International Fire Code, as adopted pursuant to chapter 13, article III of the City of Montgomery Code of Ordinances and any fireworks as contemplated and more specifically identified in Code of Ala. § 8-17-226.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
§ 8-17-226. There's no exception carved out for personal or backyard fireworks. The only path to a lawful display, public or private, runs through subsection (b): the fire official must confirm the display meets every provision of the 2018 edition of NFPA 1123 and the 2021 International Fire Code, and that the operator running it is a competent person the fire official has approved and that the display's location and method won't endanger property or people nearby. Subsection (c) requires a fee at the time of application, set out in the Montgomery Fire/Rescue schedule of fees, available from the city clerk's office or the Fire/Rescue Bureau of Inspections page.
00, up to six months in jail or hard labor, or a combination, with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense. , which governs the separate question of retail licensing statewide.
Violations & Fines
Possessing, storing, selling, or exploding fireworks outside an approved display violates § 13-8 and, absent a specific penalty in that section, falls under the citywide general penalty of § 1-6: a fine of $1.00 to $500.00, up to six months in jail or hard labor, or both, with each day a continuing violation persists charged separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I legally shoot off fireworks in my Montgomery backyard?
How do I get approval for a fireworks display in Montgomery?
What's the penalty for illegal fireworks in Montgomery?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery
How Montgomery compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·Compare Montgomery to another location·View the Alabama fire regulations overview
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