Consumer fireworks are legal statewide for adults 18 and older under West Virginia's 2016 Fireworks Safety Act, but the City of Charleston limits discharge to a handful of holidays and fines violators $500.
West Virginia Code §29-3E-1 et seq. legalized consumer-grade (1.4G) fireworks in 2016, so aerials, fountains, and Roman candles are lawful to buy and use by anyone 18 or older, with a state safety fee funding veterans and first responders. Section 29-3E-11 bars igniting them on any property without the owner's express permission. Charleston is stricter: the city allows consumer fireworks only from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, and 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year's Eve. Setting them off any other day risks a $500 fine. Discharge near the wooded hillsides is a real wildfire hazard.
In Charleston, discharging fireworks outside the permitted holiday windows brings a $500 fine. Statewide, using them on someone's property without permission or while impaired violates W. Va. Code §29-3E-11.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Kanawha County's fireworks rules stack up against other locations.
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