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Washington Court House council amends fireworks ordinance to allow possession outside sale period
Summary
On third reading the Washington Court House City Council passed Amended Ordinance No. 9-2025, removing a prohibition on mere possession of fireworks outside the regulated sale/use period; the change was described by staff and approved by roll call.
The Washington Court House City Council on third reading passed Amended Ordinance No. 9-2025, changing how the city regulates fireworks by removing a ban on mere possession of fireworks outside the designated sale/use period.
The ordinance alters the city’s prohibition so that possessing fireworks outside the regulated period is no longer itself an offense, council members said during the meeting. That means residents may carry or transport fireworks outside the designated period without violating the ordinance, according to a description given at the meeting.
Caleb, identified in the meeting as a staff member, summarized the change: "We're no longer prohibiting the mere possession of fireworks outside of the period. ... So if you wanna buy fireworks on July 2 and take them in preparation for your July 3 fireworks display, you aren't breaking the law." The council heard that clarification during discussion on the third reading.
Council members then moved the ordinance to passage and recorded a roll call vote. The roll call recorded affirmative votes from council members who answered "yes" during the sequence of votes recorded in the meeting transcript (Blair; Chris Smith; Hawk; Johnson; Schultz; Lynch; Blitch). The ordinance was approved on third reading.
The meeting transcript did not specify an effective date or any new enforcement details for the amended ordinance. The council did not provide additional enforcement guidance, fines, or changes to permitted times during the recorded discussion.
The change was presented during the council’s regular meeting under the agenda item listed as "Amended Ordinance Number 9-2025, an ordinance regulating the use and sale of fireworks within the city of Washington Courthouse, Ohio."
