Fireworks are not legal in Bend, Oregon. The city bans the sale, use, and possession of all fireworks inside city limits year-round, and the rule is stricter than Oregon state law. Even the fountains and sparklers that other parts of the state allow during the summer sales window are off-limits here. A violation is a Class A civil infraction with a fine of up to $750.1City of Bend. Fireworks
What Bend’s Ban Covers
Everything. Bottle rockets, Roman candles, firecrackers, cone fountains, cylindrical fountains, sparklers, ground spinners, wheels. If it is sold as a firework, you cannot buy it, carry it, or set it off anywhere inside Bend. The ban is permanent and does not lift for the Fourth of July.
Bend made the ordinance permanent in 2021 after repeated drought declarations and record heat left the area especially exposed to wildfire.
Why Oregon’s State Exceptions Don’t Help You in Bend
Oregon bans most fireworks statewide but carves out a narrow category of “consumer fireworks,” which includes cone and cylindrical fountains, flitter sparklers, ground spinners, illuminating torches, and wheels.2Oregon Public Law. ORS 480.111 – Definitions for ORS 480.111 to 480.165 Permitted vendors can sell these items only from June 23 through July 6 each year.3Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 480 – Section 480.127 Nothing that flies into the air, launches a projectile, or is classified as display-grade is legal for consumer use anywhere in Oregon.4Oregon Public Law. ORS 480.120 – Sale, Possession and Use of Fireworks Prohibited
None of that matters inside Bend. The city’s ordinance does not adopt the state’s consumer-fireworks exception, so items that would be legal in parts of Oregon during that two-week window are still illegal here.
A separate category called “exempt fireworks” sits outside the state’s fireworks laws entirely: paper caps, snakes, smoke devices, model rocket motors, and party-popper-style noisemakers. Whether these fall under Bend’s definition of “fireworks” is not spelled out in the city’s public guidance. If you want certainty on a novelty item, call Bend Fire & Rescue before using it in town.
Sky Lanterns Are Illegal Everywhere in Oregon
People sometimes treat sky lanterns as a quieter, safer substitute. They are not legal. Oregon prohibits releasing a sky lantern anywhere in the state, and a violation is a Class A violation carrying a fine of up to $2,000.5Oregon Public Law. ORS 476.735 – Sky Lantern Prohibition6Oregon Public Law. ORS 153.018 – Maximum Fines
Driving Out of Town Won’t Solve It
Leaving Bend’s city limits doesn’t open up legal ground nearby. Fireworks are prohibited on all federal public lands around Central Oregon, including national forests, Bureau of Land Management property, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service land. They are also banned on Oregon state beaches, in state parks, and at state campgrounds.7Oregon Public Broadcasting. Firework Bans and Restrictions Across Oregon and SW Washington The BLM has imposed seasonal fireworks bans on all public lands it manages in Oregon, typically from late spring through fall.8Bureau of Land Management. Fireworks and Exploding Targets Ban Because Bend is ringed by BLM and national forest, finding a legal spot anywhere near town is extremely difficult.
Penalties If You Get Caught
The fines stack, and they get much worse if something burns.
The City Fine
Using, possessing, or selling fireworks inside Bend is a Class A civil infraction with a maximum fine of $750 per offense.1City of Bend. Fireworks
State Criminal Charge
Violating Oregon’s fireworks statutes is a Class B misdemeanor,9Oregon Public Law. ORS 480.990 – Penalties which carries a maximum fine of $2,500.10Oregon Public Law. ORS 161.635 – Fines for Misdemeanors The State Fire Marshal can impose a separate civil penalty of up to $500 per violation, with each day a violation continues counting as a separate offense.11Oregon Public Law. ORS 480.165 – Civil Penalty for Fireworks Law Violations
If a Fire Starts
Starting a fire that damages someone else’s property can be charged as reckless burning, a Class A misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $6,250.12Oregon Public Law. ORS 164.335 – Reckless Burning10Oregon Public Law. ORS 161.635 – Fines for Misdemeanors You also face civil liability for the actual damage, which in a wildfire scenario can run into the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Parents carry a specific exposure. If your minor child starts a fire with fireworks, Oregon law makes you liable for the cost of suppressing that fire, up to $5,000 per incident.13Oregon Public Law. ORS 480.158 – Parents of Minor Liable for Costs Incurred in Suppressing Fires Caused by Use of Fireworks by Minor That cap applies only to the suppression bill. It does not limit what you owe neighbors or other injured parties for the damage itself.
The One Exception: Professional Displays
Permitted public displays are allowed in Bend. A display requires a permit from the Oregon State Fire Marshal plus endorsement from both Bend Fire & Rescue and the Bend Police Department, and the operator must be certified by the State Fire Marshal.1City of Bend. Fireworks14Oregon State Fire Marshal. Fireworks Certificates Even approved displays can be canceled when weather or emergency resources make the event too risky.
Reporting Illegal Fireworks
To report fireworks use in Bend, call non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911. Call 911 only if there is a confirmed fire or an injury. The city has said that non-emergency calls will not always draw an immediate response, particularly on the Fourth of July when call volume spikes.15City of Bend. Illegal Fireworks Task Force