Santa Ana, CA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- Dangerous fireworks
- Fully banned: sale, possession, discharge
- Safe & sane sale window
- Noon Jul 1 – 9 p.m. Jul 4 only
- Permit eligibility
- Local schools/nonprofits, 1+ yr established
- Citywide booth cap
- 85 booths, lottery for open slots
- Minimum buyer age
- 18 years old
- Storage distance
- 40 ft from permanent structures/gas stations
Summary
Santa Ana bans all "dangerous fireworks" outright: manufacture, storage, sale, possession, or discharge. Only "safe and sane" fireworks may be sold, and only by permitted school or nonprofit groups, and only discharged on four days each July around Independence Day.
Sec. 14-53. - Dangerous fireworks prohibited. No person, firm, or organization shall manufacture, store, display, sell, offer for sale, possess, discharge, explode, fire, or set off any dangerous fireworks within the City of Santa Ana. ... Sec. 14-54. - Discharging safe and sane fireworks. No person shall discharge any safe and sane fireworks except on the days that sales are permitted each year as set forth in section 14-55 below. ... Sec. 14-55. - Sale of safe and sane fireworks; hours of sale. No person shall display, sell, or engage in the business of selling safe and sane fireworks without first having obtained a permit to do so as hereinafter provided. No person shall sell any type of fireworks at any time except from 12:00 noon through 10:00 p.m. on July 1st; from 10:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m. on July 2nd and 3rd; and from 10:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m. on July 4th of any year.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32).
Full Breakdown
Santa Ana Municipal Code § 14-53 makes it unlawful for any person, firm, or organization to "manufacture, store, display, sell, offer for sale, possess, discharge, explode, fire, or set off any dangerous fireworks" anywhere in the city, with "dangerous fireworks" defined by reference to state fireworks law and State Fire Marshal regulations (§ 14-51). on July 4th (§ 14-55). (§ 14-56). Citywide booth operations are capped at 85, with returning compliant organizations auto-renewed and remaining slots filled by an April lottery (§ 14-57). Section 14-59 separately makes it unlawful to sell safe and sane fireworks to anyone under 18.
Violations & Fines
The fire authority having jurisdiction "shall seize, take, remove, or cause to be removed, at the expense of the owner, all stocks of fireworks offered or exposed for sale, or held in violation of this article" under § 14-77. Fireworks may not be sold, stored, or discharged within 40 feet of any permanent structure or at any gas station. Violations of the dangerous-fireworks ban and related sections are enforced under the citywide general penalty, Municipal Code § 1-8: a misdemeanor with a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with the city attorney able to cite it as an infraction, and each day of continued violation is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are fireworks legal in Santa Ana?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Ana
How Santa Ana compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Ana to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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