Pasadena, CA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

Section 14.30.020 of the Pasadena Municipal Code prohibits possessing, selling, using or discharging fireworks or fireworks kits of any class within the city, including the "safe and sane" Class C fireworks that some other California cities allow for July 4th sales, unless the person holds two separate credentials: a permit issued by the fire chief and a valid pyrotechnic operator's license issued by the California Office of the State Fire Marshal. Because the state license is reserved for professional pyrotechnic operators rather than individual residents, the dual-credential structure functions as a near-total ban on private fireworks use in Pasadena, even for the state-legal "safe and sane" category.

The ordinance also reaches property owners and tenants directly: Section 14.30.020 makes it unlawful for an owner or resident tenant to knowingly allow someone else to possess, sell, use or discharge fireworks on their property, so a homeowner cannot let guests set off fireworks in a backyard without personal liability. A related section, 14.30.030, separately bans possessing, storing or selling any "pyrotechnic device" as defined by Health and Safety Code Section 12526 without the same license-and-permit combination, and Section 14.30.040 extends the permit requirement to discharging pyrotechnic devices or theatrical production effects, such as those used in filmed productions.

The fire chief may set rules for issuing fireworks permits and charge fees adopted by the city council, but the pyrotechnic operator's license requirement itself can never be waived when state law, Health and Safety Code Division 11, Part 2, mandates it.