Waukesha, WI Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

12, adopted under the state authority in Wis. 10(5), defines fireworks broadly to include firecrackers, sparklers, display wheels, torpedoes, sky rockets, Roman candles, aerial salutes and similar explosive or flammable devices, while excluding items like model rocket engines, small wired sparklers under 36 inches, and novelty items that neither explode nor emit an external flame. The prohibition covers every stage from sale to discharge. The only path around it is a permit from the Fire Chief or a designee for a pyrotechnic display by public authorities, fair associations, amusement parks, park boards or civic groups, conducted to NFPA 1123 standards, plus a certificate of general liability insurance of $1,000,000 naming the City, its officers and employees as additional insureds, filed with the permit at the City Clerk's office.

A separate carve-out lets the Waukesha County Airport use pyrotechnic devices to disperse birds near runways if a permit and insurance are in place. Storage rules bar keeping fireworks in any dwelling or within 50 feet of one, and within 50 feet of a gasoline pump or bulk station, and require wholesalers to notify the Fire Chief of receipt or relocation of stock. A parent or guardian who consents to a minor's fireworks use is personally liable for resulting damages. The City can also go to circuit court for an injunction against violations, independent of the citation process.