Hawaii County, HI Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

Fireworks on the Big Island are governed primarily by Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 132D (Fireworks Control Law) and Hawaii County Code Chapter 14, Article 5, with permitting and enforcement handled by the Hawaii Fire Department (HFD) Fire Prevention Branch (Hilo: 808-932-2911; Kona: 808-323-4760). A $25 Firecracker Permit allows the holder to purchase up to 5,000 individual firecrackers; permits are issued only to applicants 18 or older, are nontransferable and nonrefundable, and the holder may obtain multiple permits. Permits are sold at licensed retail outlets across the island in the days before each holiday window (e.g., TNT tents at Safeway Hilo, 381 E. Makaala Street, and Walmart Kona, 75-1015 Henry Street, plus KTA stores in Hilo and Waimea, J. Hara Store, Phantom Fireworks tents, and Pacific Fireworks). Permitted firecrackers and consumer fireworks may only be discharged during three windows each year: 9 p.m. December 31 to 1 a.m. January 1; and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 4. Permits are not required for novelties and paperless firecrackers. Consumer fireworks legal without a permit (state-classified) include cylindrical and cone fountains, wheels, illuminating torches and colored fire, dipped sticks, sparklers, and salutes. Aerial Luminous Devices including sky lanterns and 'Hawaii lanterns,' bottle rockets, skyrockets, Roman candles, cakes, mortars, and shells are illegal to buy, sell, possess, import, or set off. Fireworks may not be used within 1,000 feet of hospitals, convalescent homes, care facilities for the elderly, zoos, animal hospitals or shelters, or churches during services; nor on school property without authorization, or on any public highway, alley, street, sidewalk, or in any public park. It is also illegal to extract or remove the powder/pyrotechnic contents from fireworks, throw ignited fireworks from or at vehicles, or allow unsupervised minors to purchase or ignite fireworks. Aerial Display Permits issued by the HFD Fire Prevention Branch are required for any public display, must be performed by a state-licensed pyrotechnic operator, and require plan review and proof of insurance under HRS 132D and NFPA 1. The 2025 legislature enacted Act 243 (HB 1483) and Act 244 (HB 550), signed by Governor Josh Green on June 30, 2025 and effective July 1, 2025. Act 243 restructured penalties on a 25-pound weight tier, elevated repeat fireworks offenses within 10 years to a Class C felony, made resulting substantial bodily injury a Class B felony and serious bodily injury or death a Class A felony, created a separate offense for discharging aerials within 500 feet of a dwelling, and made parents, guardians, and property owners accountable for unpermitted aerials set off or stored on their property. Act 244 authorizes the state Department of Law Enforcement and counties to operate drones over public property to gather evidence and establish probable cause for fireworks violations. The Big Island's Fireworks Auditor (Kamuela Moraes, 808-938-1253) coordinates amnesty turn-ins of illegal aerials.