Fairfax County, VA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

Section 5608.1.1.1, the County's added "Unlawful activities" subsection, is sweeping: "Except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to transport, manufacture, store, possess, sell, offer for sale, expose for sale, or to buy, use, ignite, or explode any fireworks." Section 5608.1 separately declares that "the manufacture of fireworks is prohibited within the County" with no exception at all. The only carve-out from the 5608.1.1.1 ban is Section 5608.1.2: consumer 1.4G "permissible fireworks" that the Fire Marshal's Office has approved, and those may be used only on private property with the owner's permission; selling or storing any fireworks on someone else's property without written permission is separately prohibited, as is selling to minors unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Retail sale requires a Fire Marshal's Office permit valid for a maximum of 45 days under Section 5608.2.3, backed by a $5,000,000 combined-limit liability insurance certificate; public aerial fireworks displays likewise need a permit under Section 5608.2.1.1 with the same insurance requirement. Fairfax County police officers, not just fire marshal staff, are empowered to enforce the fireworks provisions under Section 104.1.2. Fireworks are further barred from being manufactured, stored, sold, displayed or used inside or within 100 feet of any tent or membrane structure under Section 3104.5, and reloading fireworks during any shoot or show is separately unlawful under Section 5608.1.1.2.