Franklin City Council adopts new fireworks ordinance replacing 2013 rule

Franklin City Council on March 17 adopted Ordinance 2025-02, repealing and replacing Ordinance 2013-04 to update regulations on the sale and use of fireworks within Franklin City.

The ordinance, introduced at the council's March 3 meeting, revises definitions, clarifies where and when fireworks may be displayed, and spells out enforcement and penalties. Joanna Tennell, presenting the ordinance, said the text “makes it clear on who, when and where fireworks can be, displayed and set off and it also includes the enforcement and violations.”

Tennell told the council the ordinance also addresses overlapping city and state rules: “There is Indiana code that also regulates the use [and] sale of fireworks. So if there is some sort of violation be it where city code and state law overlap, it would be at the discretion of the responding officer on whether or not they issue a state law violation, which has a different fine or penalty.” The ordinance lists graduated civil penalties for repeat city-ordinance violations: “the first offense is $50, second offense is $100 and each subsequent offense is $500,” according to Tennell.

A representative of the fire department described enforcement focus on larger, dangerous fireworks and said the department would likely confiscate larger illegal items: “...we would likely confiscate the bigger ones, should we deem that they're illegal.” Council members also noted concern about fireworks being used at the amphitheater and on private property.

Following the public hearing, the council moved to approve Ordinance 2025-02. The motion carried with all council members voting in the affirmative.

The ordinance replaces the city's prior fireworks rules (Ordinance 2013-04) and gives local officers discretion to pursue city or state violations where laws overlap. The council did not identify any further amendments at the meeting.