Are Fireworks Legal in Minnesota? Allowed Types, Penalties, and Local Rules

Fireworks are mostly illegal in Minnesota. State law bans anything that flies into the air or explodes, so the bottle rockets, Roman candles, firecrackers, and aerial shells people picture on the Fourth of July are all off-limits for private use. What you can buy and set off are ground-based, non-explosive items: wire and wood sparklers, fountains, cones, ground spinners, snakes, smoke devices, and small trick noisemakers like party poppers and snappers. Getting caught with the prohibited kind is a misdemeanor, and it becomes a gross misdemeanor once the quantity hits 35 pounds.

What You Can Legally Buy and Use

Minnesota Statute 624.20 lists a narrow set of items that aren’t treated as “fireworks” under state law and are legal for anyone 18 or older. Everything on the list stays on the ground and does not detonate.¹

Wire or wood sparklers, up to 100 grams of chemical mixture each.
Ground-based sparkling devices: fountains, cones, illuminating torches, wheels, ground spinners, and flitter sparklers. They must be nonexplosive and nonaerial, with no more than 75 grams of chemical mixture per tube or 500 grams total for multi-tube items.
Snakes and glow worms (the pellets that expand into an ash snake when lit).
Smoke devices that produce colored or white smoke with no explosive effect.
Trick noisemakers: party poppers, string poppers, snappers, and drop pops, each capped at 0.25 grains of explosive mixture.

Fountains are the most visually impressive item in that group, and multi-tube models that throw sparks several feet into the air are fine as long as they meet the chemical limits and stay on the ground. Retailers sell them in seasonal tents and convenience stores, especially around Independence Day and New Year’s Eve.

What’s Prohibited

Everything else is illegal for private citizens. The statute defines “fireworks” broadly to cover any substance or article designed to produce a visible or audible effect through combustion, explosion, or detonation, and it names Roman candles, skyrockets, torpedoes, and daygo bombs alongside a catch-all for “other fireworks of like construction.”¹ In practice that means:

Firecrackers
Bottle rockets and skyrockets
Roman candles
Aerial shells and mortars
Any fireworks containing explosive or flammable compounds beyond the limits above

If a device propels itself into the air or creates a significant blast, a private citizen cannot legally sell, possess, or use it in Minnesota.

Penalties

Possessing, selling, or using prohibited fireworks is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. The charge escalates to a gross misdemeanor if the quantity reaches 35 pounds or more, measured by gross container weight. A gross misdemeanor carries up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $3,000.²

Law enforcement can also seize illegal fireworks on the spot. The 35-pound threshold matters more than people assume. A single case of consumer aerials from a superstore across the border can cross it, turning what someone thought was a minor infraction into a criminal charge with real jail time attached.

Buying Fireworks in Wisconsin or the Dakotas

Wisconsin, South Dakota, and North Dakota all allow consumer fireworks that Minnesota bans, and superstores cluster along those borders for exactly that reason. The purchase itself isn’t the problem. The moment you cross back into Minnesota with aerial or explosive fireworks in the car, you’re in possession of prohibited fireworks under state law, which is a misdemeanor at any quantity and a gross misdemeanor at 35 pounds or more.¹

Federal law stacks on top. Under 18 U.S.C. § 836, transporting fireworks into a state where they are prohibited is a federal offense punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison. The statute reaches anyone who transports or delivers fireworks knowing they’ll be “dealt with in a manner or for a use prohibited by the laws of such State,” and Minnesota’s ban triggers it directly.³ Federal prosecution of a personal stash is rare in practice, but the state charge is not. Border-county officers know what the Fourth of July traffic looks like, and a stop with a trunk full of aerials is a straightforward case.

Where You Can Set Off Legal Fireworks

Even the permitted items come with a location restriction written into the statute: they cannot be used on public property. That covers city streets, sidewalks, parks, school grounds, and any other government-owned land.¹

Private property with the owner’s permission is the only place legal fireworks belong. Your own yard works. A friend’s driveway works. A public park or city sidewalk does not, even if the fountain in your hand is itself a legal item. Enforcement spikes around holidays, and citations are common when people ignore that line.

Age Requirement

You must be at least 18 to buy any of the items listed in Statute 624.20, and retailers must verify your age with photo ID before completing the sale. There is no exception for parental consent or for a minor accompanied by an adult at the point of purchase.¹

Your City May Be Stricter

Minnesota cities and counties can adopt additional restrictions on the use of legal fireworks. A municipality can prohibit lighting sparklers and fountains inside its boundaries altogether, even though state law allows them. Local bans usually respond to drought, elevated fire danger, or population density.²

Local power has edges. Cities cannot prohibit or restrict the retail display or sale of legal fireworks that comply with National Fire Protection Association Standard 1124, which is why the store down the street can sell you a fountain your city won’t let you light.¹ Check your municipal code or call the local fire department before you light anything. Following state law doesn’t help you if your city has gone further.

Public Displays Are a Separate Track

The aerial and explosive items private citizens cannot touch are legal for licensed professionals running supervised public shows. Minnesota Statute 624.22 governs those permits, and operators also need federal authorization from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to handle display fireworks. So the Fourth of July show at a local park is legal; the one in your backyard with the same kind of shells is not.⁴

1
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 624.20 – Fireworks
2
Minnesota House of Representatives. Fireworks for Personal Use – The Laws in Minnesota and Surrounding States
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 836 – Transportation of Fireworks Into State Prohibiting Sale or Use
4
Olmsted County, MN. Fireworks Permit