Scranton, PA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

Pennsylvania Act 74 of 2022 (3 Pa. C.S.A. Sections 2401 et seq.) repealed Act 43 of 2017 and re-established the framework under which Pennsylvania residents aged 18 and older may purchase and use consumer-grade 1.4G fireworks (firecrackers, Roman candles, bottle rockets, aerial shells, and similar devices). Act 74 imposes a statewide 150-foot setback: a person may not ignite, discharge, or otherwise use consumer fireworks within 150 feet of any occupied structure or vehicle, regardless of ownership or whether a person is actually present. Act 74 expressly authorizes municipalities to restrict hours of use, with the statutory floor being no use between 10:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m., except July 2, 3, and 4 (and the immediately preceding/following Friday and Saturday if July 4 falls midweek) and December 31, when use is permitted until 1:00 a.m. The City of Scranton enforces these statewide limits through the Bureau of Fire and Scranton Police. Display fireworks (1.3G) and any commercial use require a permit from the Scranton Fire Prevention Officer under the local Fire Prevention Code and a state license under Act 74. Because Scranton is a dense urban core (population approximately 76,000 in roughly 25.4 sq mi, with very compact downtown and Hill Section row-home blocks), the 150-foot setback effectively bans backyard consumer fireworks on most city lots - a 150-foot circle around the discharge point rarely fits within a Scranton parcel without encompassing a neighbor's house.