San Benito County, CA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

San Benito County regulates fireworks under Chapter 11.05 of the County Code (sections 11.05.001 Definitions, 11.05.002 Sale prohibited, 11.05.003 Violation; nuisance, 11.05.004 Violation; criminal penalty, and 11.05.005 Administrative citations). Fire officials confirm the practical effect: Hollister Fire Chief Jonathan Goulding has stated that 'fireworks are illegal in the unincorporated areas of the county.' This matters because California is a local-option state for 'Safe and Sane' fireworks under Health & Safety Code section 12500 et seq.: such fireworks are legal only where a city or county affirmatively authorizes their sale and use. In San Benito County, only the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista license seasonal nonprofit fireworks booths and allow discharge within their city limits; the surrounding unincorporated county (San Juan Valley, Tres Pinos, Paicines, Aromas, the Panoche and Diablo Range foothills, and the rest of the rural county) does not. Buying 'Safe and Sane' fireworks in town and bringing them out to an unincorporated parcel to set off is therefore unlawful. The wildfire stakes are high: in one ten-day pre-July-4 window, Hollister Fire responded to five grass fires started by fireworks, the largest covering five acres. The Sheriff's Office and CAL FIRE (San Benito-Monterey Unit) increase patrols around Independence Day.