Columbus City Council limits fireworks season, sets new sale and discharge dates and delays effective date to Jan. 2, 2026

The Columbus City Council on July 7 adopted Ordinance No. 25-08 to change the city code on consumer fireworks sales and discharge times, setting sales to run June 28 through July 4, limiting discharge to 11 p.m. on all days except July 4 (midnight), and updating required signage at sales locations. The council amended the ordinance’s effective date to Jan. 2, 2026; that amendment passed after a tie and a deciding vote by Mayor Boeckley.

The change, which the council described as the product of compromise after previous readings and public input, follows weeks of discussion and a continuation from the June 16 meeting. Supporters and opponents of the change filled the council chamber and offered contrasting arguments about public safety, animal welfare, veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, and the economic impact on local fireworks vendors and fundraisers.

Why it matters: The ordinance narrows the period during which fireworks may be sold and discharged inside Columbus City limits, directly affecting residents, pet owners, veterans and other trauma survivors, and dozens of seasonal vendors who told the council the shortened window would reduce…