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Residents seek clarity on fireworks rules after Fourth of July; supervisors point to state law for unincorporated areas
Summary
A resident asked why fireworks can be used multiple nights in unincorporated areas; supervisors and staff said the state law sets allowable days and that cities may impose further restrictions within incorporated limits, recommending residents take questions to state representatives for changes.
During public comment at Tuesday’s meeting, a Warren County resident told supervisors she was surprised to learn fireworks were being set off in unincorporated parts of the county on multiple nights around the Fourth of July and asked whether the county had changed its rules.
County officials responded that the state recently amended law regulating fireworks and that the county follows state rules in unincorporated areas. Supervisors noted that incorporated cities have limited ability to restrict fireworks beyond the state’s statutory minimums; several cities have adopted tighter local restrictions for within-city limits, but the unincorporated county follows state law for allowable days and times.
Staff and supervisors said typical time limits include earlier cutoffs on weekdays and later allowances on weekends (for example, midnight on weekends and 11 p.m. on weeknights was described in the meeting), but they advised residents that precise statutory days and times are set at the state level and changes would require legislative action.
The board did not adopt any local ordinance change; officials encouraged residents with concerns about the law’s scope to contact their state representatives and noted the county can permit individual professional fireworks displays through existing permit processes.
