Paramount, CA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- Dangerous fireworks
- Sale, possession, storage and use all unlawful (§ 8.12.030)
- Safe and sane sales
- June 28 noon to 10 p.m.; June 29 to July 4, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Safe and sane use
- July 3 through July 4 only
- Minimum purchase age
- 16 years old
- Stand permit filing window
- February 1 to April 1 with the Planning Director
- Required insurance
- $500,000 public liability; $100,000 property damage
- Maximum stand size
- 400 square feet of floor area
Summary
In the City of Paramount, California, selling, possessing, or setting off dangerous fireworks is unlawful at all times. Safe and sane fireworks can be sold only from permitted temporary stands between June 28 and July 4 and used only on July 3 and July 4, and only the organizations named in Paramount Municipal Code § 8.12.080 are eligible for a stand permit.
§ 8.12.030. Sale, setting off, possession, etc., of dangerous fireworks prohibited. It is unlawful for any person in the City to sell, offer to sell, set off, discharge, possess, keep or store or permit the keeping or storing of any dangerous fireworks. ... § 8.12.050. Limitation on dates of sale of "safe and sane" fireworks. No "safe and "sane" fireworks shall be sold or offered for sale except from noon to 10:00 p.m. on June 28 and 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on June 29 through July 4, inclusive, of each year from a permitted temporary fire works stand. ... § 8.12.060. Limitation on dates of use. No "safe and sane" fireworks shall be used, set off, or otherwise discharged except on July 3 through July 4.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 8.12 was enacted under California Health and Safety Code Section 12541 by the City Council of the City of Paramount. Section 8.12.030 makes it unlawful for any person in the City to sell, offer to sell, set off, discharge, possess, keep or store, or permit the keeping or storing of, any dangerous fireworks. The definition in § 8.12.020 covers firecrackers, skyrockets and rockets, Roman candles, chasers, torpedoes, fireworks kits, and sparklers more than 10 inches in length or one-fourth of one inch in diameter. Safe and sane fireworks are those classified and registered as such by the State Fire Marshal and labeled with the safe and sane seal.
Sale is limited to a permitted temporary fireworks stand: noon to 10:00 p.m. on June 28 and 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on June 29 through July 4, inclusive (§ 8.12.050). Use is limited to July 3 through July 4 (§ 8.12.060). No one under 16 can buy safe and sane fireworks, and stand operators and employees cannot sell to anyone under 16 (§ 8.12.070).
Stand rules in § 8.12.080 include a one-quarter mile gap between stands, a 25 foot setback from any structure or property line, a 15 foot setback from the public sidewalk, and a floor area no larger than 400 square feet. A supervisor 21 or older must be on duty, no one under 18 can be inside or work at the stand, no stand can be erected before June 10, and the site must be cleared within 72 hours after midnight on July 4. Applicants file with the Planning Director between February 1 and April 1 and pay a fee set by resolution of at least $15 (§ 8.12.110). Each applicant carries public liability insurance of at least $500,000 and property damage insurance of at least $100,000, naming the City as additional assured (§ 8.12.040). The City Council grants or denies each application in its discretion (§ 8.12.120), and a permit is valid for one calendar year and is not transferable (§ 8.12.130).
Section 8.12.032 adds social host liability: the owner, tenant, person in charge or organizer of a gathering where dangerous fireworks are possessed or discharged is liable even if absent, and the parents or guardians of a juvenile host are jointly and severally liable.
Violations & Fines
Section 8.12.160 punishes violations under § 1.04.150, which makes a violation a misdemeanor unless the code or the prosecutor treats it as an infraction. A misdemeanor fine is not to exceed the greater of $1,000.00 or the amount authorized under Government Code Section 36901, with up to six months in County Jail. Violations on the City Council's administrative fine schedule are cited under Chapter 1.08. Social hosts face the same penalties, and community service can be ordered in lieu of or in addition to penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set off fireworks in the City of Paramount?
When can safe and sane fireworks be bought in Paramount?
Who can run a fireworks stand in the City of Paramount?
Am I liable if guests set off fireworks at my Paramount home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paramount
How Paramount compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·California rules heatmap·Compare Paramount to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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