Vanderburgh County, IN Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- County Code § 12.24.010(U)
- Prohibits
- bringing, possessing, or setting off fireworks
- Exceptions
- none stated
- Maximum fine
- $2,500 per offense
- Applies to
- all Vanderburgh County Park property
- Enforced by
- Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Department
Summary
Vanderburgh County Code 12.24.010(U) bans bringing, possessing, or setting off fireworks anywhere on County Park property, with no stated exception. The rule sits in the same park-rules chapter that also restricts open fires to designated areas and bars glass beverage containers, and is enforced by the County Sheriff's Department.
12.24.010 Rules and regulations. It shall be a violation for any person to do any of the following in or upon the grounds or facilities of any Vanderburgh County Park ("County Park") without the express permission of the Board of Commissioners of Vanderburgh County ("Board") or the County Parks Manager: ... U. Bring into, have in one's possession, or set off any fireworks in or upon any County Park property.
Full Breakdown
010 lists the conduct barred on any Vanderburgh County Park without express Board or County Parks Manager permission, and subsection U states flatly that a person may not bring into, have in one's possession, or set off any fireworks in or upon any County Park property. Unlike the chapter's fire rule in subsection I, which allows a fire in places provided for that purpose under continuous adult supervision, the fireworks ban carries no such carve-out for a designated area or supervised use; fireworks are barred outright anywhere on park grounds, including Burdette Park and every other county park facility.
Subsection I also bans discarding lighted matches, cigarettes, or other burning material near any building, boat, vehicle, tree, or underbrush in a park, so the fireworks ban functions as part of a broader fire-safety scheme for county park land, alongside the separate Indiana fireworks statute that governs use outside of parks. Bringing in weapons capable of firing a projectile is separately barred under subsection T. 010, fireworks included, and treats a continuing violation as a new offense each day it persists.
Violations & Fines
Violating the fireworks ban under Section 12.24.010(U) is punishable under the county's general penalty section, up to $2,500 per offense, and Section 12.24.040 makes each day of a continuing violation a separate offense. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Department, the Board of Commissioners, and the County Parks Manager are all authorized to enforce the prohibition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set off sparklers at a county park on the Fourth of July?
Are campfires allowed in county parks?
Who enforces the park fireworks ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vanderburgh County
How Vanderburgh County compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·Compare Vanderburgh County to another location·View the Indiana fire regulations overview
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