Vermont: Are fireworks legal?
Vermont bans consumer fireworks for private use; only small sparklers and novelties are legal without a display permit.
State law allows hand-held sparklers under 14 inches with no more than 20 grams of mixture, plus snakes, party poppers, glow worms, smoke devices, string poppers, snappers and drop pops. Sparklers may not be sold to minors. Everything else requires a permit for a supervised display, issued by the local fire chief (or selectboard) and run by a competent operator. The state fire safety office says fireworks are illegal except at permitted, supervised public displays.
Conditions
- Only small sparklers and listed novelties allowed without a permit
- Sparklers may not be sold to minors
- Display permit from the local fire chief at least 15 days in advance
What the law says
(2) Use, possess, or explode any fireworks unless the person has been issued a permit to display fireworks pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. ... In Vermont all fireworks (not including Sparklers and other novelty smoke devices) are illegal except for permitted, supervised public fireworks displays.
Sources
- 20 V.S.A. 3132 Official · legislature.vermont.gov
- 20 V.S.A. 3131 Official · legislature.vermont.gov
- Vermont Division of Fire Safety, Sparklers and Fireworks Official · firesafety.vermont.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Vermont Division of Fire Safety
- Phone
- 802-479-7561
- Website
- firesafety.vermont.gov
How bordering states compare
- Massachusetts Consumer fireworks bannedMassachusetts bans all consumer fireworks, including sparklers, for private persons.
- New Hampshire Aerial fireworks allowedNew Hampshire allows adults 21 and older to use consumer fireworks, including bottle rockets, unless their town has voted to ban them.
- New York Sparklers and ground fireworks onlyNew York allows only sparklers and fountains, and only outside New York City and counties that banned them; aerial and exploding fireworks are illegal.