Wausau, WI Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- State law adopted
- Wis. Stat. § 167.10
- Wholesale storage setback
- 50 feet from any dwelling
- Storage safety
- Fire extinguishers required, no smoking
- Citation deposit
- $50.00 for possession/use
- General forfeiture
- $10-$200 per offense, § 1.01.110
Summary
Wausau bans consumer fireworks by adopting Wisconsin's fireworks statute, Wis. Stat. § 167.10, into the Municipal Code, so anyone who sets off fireworks without a state permit inside city limits violates local law. The city adds its own wholesale-storage rules: fire extinguishers, a smoking ban, and a 50-foot setback from any dwelling for stock awaiting shipment outside Wausau.
Section 167.10 of the Wisconsin Statutes, regulating the sale and use of fireworks, exclusive of penalties, is adopted by reference as part of this Code. ... Nothing in Section 167.10 of the Wisconsin Statutes, shall be construed to prohibit any resident wholesaler, dealer or jobber from selling fireworks at wholesale, provided the same are shipped or delivered directly outside the limits of the City, subject to the following: (a)Fire extinguishers, approved by the Chief of the Fire Department, shall be provided where fireworks are stored or handled;(b)Smoking shall be prohibited where fireworks are stored or handled;(c)It is hereby made the duty of every wholesaler, dealer or jobber keeping or exposing for sale, within the City, fireworks of any description to immediately notify the Chief of the Fire Department of the receipt of such stock of fireworks, or upon removal from one location to another, and the location where the stock of such fireworks is stored. No such fireworks shall be stored in any building used for dwelling purposes or in any building situated within 50 feet of any building used for dwelling purposes or places of public assemblage.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
12, Fireworks and Explosives, adopts Wis. 10 by reference, exclusive of the state's own penalty, which is why a citation for setting off fireworks inside the city is written under the local code rather than the state statute. That state law reserves fireworks use to permit holders and licensed operators of public displays, so unpermitted use, sale or possession of consumer-grade fireworks (bottle rockets, firecrackers, aerial shells and similar items) within Wausau is a municipal violation. 020 carves out a narrow wholesale exception: a resident wholesaler, dealer or jobber may still sell fireworks at wholesale if the stock is shipped or delivered directly outside city limits, but only if fire extinguishers approved by the Chief of the Fire Department are kept on hand, smoking is prohibited wherever the fireworks are stored or handled, and the wholesaler notifies the Fire Chief immediately upon receiving or relocating any stock.
No fireworks may be stored in a dwelling or in any building within 50 feet of a dwelling or place of public assemblage. 030 separately requires anyone using or storing dynamite or similar explosive material in the city to notify the Police and Fire Departments first. 010.
Violations & Fines
A first fireworks possession-or-use citation carries a $50.00 stipulated deposit under the Municipal Ordinance Schedule of Deposits, Wausau Municipal Code § 1.01.025, payable to Wausau Municipal Court. Wholesale storage violations, missing extinguishers, smoking near stock, or storing fireworks within 50 feet of a dwelling, expose a dealer to the general forfeiture in § 1.01.110 of $10.00 to $200.00 per offense, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I legally set off fireworks in my Wausau backyard?
Who enforces Wausau's fireworks rules?
Can a Wausau business sell fireworks wholesale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wausau
How Wausau compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·Compare Wausau to another location·View the Wisconsin fire regulations overview
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