No. Fireworks are not legal in Long Beach, California — every type is banned within city limits, including “safe and sane” devices, sparklers, firecrackers, Roman candles, and even party poppers. Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 8.81 prohibits possession, sale, and use, so you can be penalized without ever lighting a fuse. California state law layers additional fines and possible jail time on top of the city’s penalties.
What Counts as a Firework
Long Beach adopts California’s statutory definition, which is deliberately broad. Under the Health and Safety Code, a “firework” is any device containing chemical elements capable of burning on their own and producing visual, audible, mechanical, or thermal effects. That explicitly includes skyrockets, Roman candles, sparklers, party poppers, chasers, fountains, smoke devices, aerial bombs, and fireworks assembly kits.1LA County Fire Department. California Health and Safety Code, Division 11, Part 2 – Fireworks The city ordinance applies that same definition, leaving no gray area about which devices qualify.2City of Long Beach. Long Beach City Council Approves New Fireworks Ordinance
A common misconception: buying “safe and sane” fireworks in a neighboring city that allows them and bringing them home. That’s still illegal. California law prohibits possession or use of any fireworks in a community that bans them, regardless of where you bought them. Transporting fireworks that lack the state fire marshal’s “safe and sane” seal is independently illegal statewide.
City Fines Under LBMC 8.81
Long Beach’s enhanced fireworks ordinance stacks three categories of financial consequences:2City of Long Beach. Long Beach City Council Approves New Fireworks Ordinance
- A $1,000 administrative penalty per violation.
- A $250 disposal fee if the Fire Marshal has to confiscate and dispose of the fireworks, charged on top of the administrative penalty.
- Full reimbursement of the city’s actual response costs. For large incidents involving police, fire, medical, and other emergency personnel, those costs can exceed $20,000.
A fireworks violation is also charged as a misdemeanor. Anyone cited or arrested faces at least a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both.3City of Long Beach. Long Beach Reminds Residents and Visitors to Celebrate Safely Over Fourth of July
Host Liability for Property Owners and Renters
The ordinance doesn’t only target the person lighting the fuse. Under the host liability provision, property owners, tenants, landlords, property managers, and anyone organizing or controlling activity on a property can be billed for illegal fireworks that go off on or around that property.2City of Long Beach. Long Beach City Council Approves New Fireworks Ordinance
This is what catches people off guard. A landlord can be billed for a tenant’s response costs. A party host can be cited for a guest’s conduct. Fire department, law enforcement, and code enforcement officers can issue those citations without personally witnessing the violation, as long as there’s sufficient evidence.2City of Long Beach. Long Beach City Council Approves New Fireworks Ordinance A $20,000 response-cost bill for someone else’s fireworks is a hard way to learn about this rule.3City of Long Beach. Long Beach Reminds Residents and Visitors to Celebrate Safely Over Fourth of July
California State Penalties
State penalties apply on top of the city’s. A general violation of California’s fireworks law is a misdemeanor carrying a fine between $1,000 and $2,000, up to one year in county jail, or both.4California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 12700 For possession of dangerous fireworks — anything without the state fire marshal’s “safe and sane” label — the fine scales with weight:
- Under 25 pounds: $1,000 to $2,000 fine, up to one year in jail, or both. A second conviction raises the minimum fine to $2,000.
- 25 to 100 pounds: $2,000 to $10,000 fine, up to one year in jail, or both.
- 100 to 5,000 pounds: $10,000 to $20,000 fine, potential state prison time, or both.
- Over 5,000 pounds: $20,000 to $100,000 fine, potential state prison time, or both.
These state fines run independently of Long Beach’s, so someone caught with a large quantity could face both.4California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 12700 Selling or giving dangerous fireworks to someone under 18 carries steeper consequences; a second conviction for that offense adds a $10,000 fine, up to a year in jail, and bars probation or a suspended sentence.5California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 12702
Civil Lawsuits for Injuries and Property Damage
Criminal and administrative penalties aren’t the end of it. Anyone who burns a neighbor, injures a bystander, or starts a fire that damages someone’s property with illegal fireworks can be sued for damages. California doesn’t cap damages in personal injury claims of this kind, so the financial exposure depends on the severity of the harm. Homeowner’s insurance policies commonly exclude coverage for injuries caused by illegal activity, so any judgment would likely come out of pocket.
Legal Alternatives in Long Beach
Long Beach runs professional fireworks displays that let you watch without the legal risk. The city’s signature event is the free Fourth of July show at the downtown waterfront, launched from Queensway Bay.6Visit Long Beach. Free July 4 Fireworks in Long Beach Those shows run under permits with licensed pyrotechnicians and meet safety distances consumer fireworks can’t replicate in a backyard. The city has also looked at expanding drone light shows as an alternative.7City of Long Beach. Safe and Sane Fireworks Feasibility and Assessment
Could the Ban Change
In October 2025, the Long Beach City Council asked staff to evaluate whether the city should allow state fire marshal-approved ground-based sparkling devices, the “safe and sane” category. Staff delivered a feasibility report in December 2025.7City of Long Beach. Safe and Sane Fireworks Feasibility and Assessment No ordinance change has been adopted. The total ban remains in full effect, and any shift would require a separate council vote at a future meeting. Until that happens, every firework of every kind is illegal within Long Beach city limits.
How to Report Illegal Fireworks
Call the non-emergency Communications Center line at 562-435-6711 to report fireworks activity. Reserve 911 for cases where someone is injured or a fire has started.3City of Long Beach. Long Beach Reminds Residents and Visitors to Celebrate Safely Over Fourth of July Complaints can also be submitted through the Go Long Beach app or the Go Long Beach website. Include the location, what you saw, any photos or video, and license plate numbers for vehicles involved. That documentation is what lets officers cite hosts and violators after the fact without having been on scene.