Smyrna, TN Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- Retail sale windows
- June 20 to July 5; December 20 to January 2
- July 4 discharge hours
- 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m.
- Sales permit validity
- 30 days
- Distance from churches, hospitals, schools
- 600 feet
- Sales distance from gas pumps
- At least 50 feet
- Special discharge permit request
- At least 15 days before the event
- Discharge on town property
- Prohibited, including public parks
Summary
The Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, allows only D.O.T. Class C Common/1.4G consumer fireworks, sold at retail from June 20 through July 5 and December 20 through January 2. Title 7, Chapter 4 confines discharge to set dates and hours and bars ignition within 600 feet of a church, hospital or public school.
(1)It is unlawful to:(a)Offer for retail sale or to sell any fireworks to children under the age of 16 years or to any intoxicated or irresponsible person. Sales to minors shall be made in accordance with the state law;(b)Explode or ignite fireworks within 600 feet of any church, hospital, asylum, public school or within 500 feet of where fireworks are stored, sold, or offered for sale, or within 500 feet of a gasoline retailer or wholesale storage facility; or(c)Ignite or discharge any permissible articles of fireworks within or throw the same from a motor vehicle while within, nor shall any person place or throw any ignited article of fireworks into or at such a motor vehicle, or at or near any person or group of people.(2)All items of fireworks which exceed the limits of D.O.T. Class C Common/1.4G fireworks as to explosive composition, such items being commonly referred to as "illegal ground salutes" designed to produce an audible effect, are expressly prohibited from shipment into, manufacture, possession, sale, or use within the town for any purpose.
Full Breakdown
Title 7, Chapter 4 of the Smyrna Municipal Code limits the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, to common fireworks. Section 7-406 makes it unlawful to possess, sell or use anything other than D.O.T. Class C Common/1.4G items or items that meet Consumer Product Safety Commission rules. Retail sales to town residents run June 20 through July 5 and December 20 through January 2 only (§ 7-408). Anyone selling needs a permit from the Town Manager under § 7-403. Section 7-404 sets the fee through the fee schedule in the budget ordinance, makes the permit valid for 30 days, and lets the Town Council waive the fee for a non-profit organization.
Discharge follows a separate, tighter calendar. Section 7-415 restricts common fireworks to July 3 from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m., July 4 from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m., July 5 from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m., December 31 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. on January 1, and January 1 from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Section 7-416 prohibits discharge at every other time. A resident who wants a special permit sends the request to the Fire Chief, the Chief of Police and the Town Manager at least 15 days before the event, with a non-refundable application fee. The Town Manager can deny any request that fails to serve the general good of the community.
Location rules apply as well. Under § 7-411 no one can explode fireworks within 600 feet of a church, hospital, asylum or public school, or within 500 feet of a place that stores or sells fireworks or a gasoline retailer. Section 7-417 bars discharging or carrying fireworks onto town property, including public parks, except at town-sponsored events. Sales sites must keep fireworks at least 50 feet from any gasoline dispensing pump and post "fireworks - no smoking" signs in letters not less than four inches high (§ 7-410). Public displays with special fireworks need written approval from the Fire Chief, the Police Chief and the Town Manager, plus a State Fire Marshal permit (§ 7-409). After a discharge, debris must come off public roadways and rights-of-way (§ 7-419).
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 4 is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding state authorized maximum limits under § 7-413, and the town can refuse another permit to a convicted permit holder for up to three years. Discharging outside the chapter is a misdemeanor and each day a violation continues is a separate offense (§ 7-420). The Town Manager or a designee can seize illegal fireworks as contraband, and a known owner gets notice and a right to a hearing before destruction (§ 7-412). Debris left on a roadway can bring a citation under § 16-107.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I set off fireworks in Smyrna, Tennessee?
Can I set off fireworks in a Smyrna park?
Which fireworks are illegal in the Town of Smyrna?
How do I get permission to discharge fireworks on a date the code does not allow?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Smyrna
How Smyrna compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·Compare Smyrna to another location·View the Tennessee fire regulations overview
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Fireworks in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Rutherford County handle fireworks.