Are Fireworks Legal in Long Beach, CA? Fines and Penalties

No. Fireworks are not legal in Long Beach, CA — every type is banned inside city limits, including “safe and sane” fireworks, 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 adds another layer of fines and possible jail time on top of what the city imposes.¹

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 that burn on their own to produce visual, audible, mechanical, or thermal effects. That explicitly covers skyrockets, Roman candles, sparklers, party poppers, chasers, fountains, smoke devices, aerial bombs, and assembly kits.²

A common misunderstanding: buying “safe and sane” fireworks in a neighboring city that allows them and bringing them home to Long Beach does not make them legal. California law prohibits possessing or using any fireworks in a community that bans them, no matter where they were purchased. Transporting fireworks without the state fire marshal’s “safe and sane” seal is separately illegal statewide.

City Fines and Penalties

Getting caught in Long Beach triggers a stack of financial consequences under LBMC 8.81:¹

A $1,000 administrative penalty per violation.
A $250 disposal fee if the Fire Marshal has to take custody of the fireworks, charged on top of the administrative penalty.
The actual costs the city incurs responding to the incident. For large responses involving police, fire, medical, and other emergency personnel, those costs can exceed $20,000.

The violation is also a misdemeanor. Anyone cited or arrested faces at least a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both.³

You Can Be Fined for Someone Else’s Fireworks

The ordinance’s host liability provision reaches beyond whoever lights the fuse. 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 their property.¹

Fire, law enforcement, and code enforcement officers can cite hosts without personally witnessing the violation, as long as there is sufficient evidence. That means a landlord whose tenants light off fireworks, or a homeowner hosting a party where fireworks appear, can be on the hook for a response-cost bill that has reached over $20,000 in past incidents.³

State Penalties Apply Too

California Health and Safety Code Section 12700 imposes its own penalties, independent of the city’s. A general fireworks violation is a misdemeanor with a fine of $1,000 to $2,000, up to one year in county jail, or both.⁴

Possessing “dangerous fireworks” (anything without the state fire marshal’s “safe and sane” label) carries penalties that scale by weight. Under 25 pounds is a misdemeanor with a $1,000 to $2,000 fine and up to a year in jail; between 25 and 100 pounds, the fine range rises to $2,000 to $10,000. Larger quantities open the door to state prison time and fines reaching $100,000.⁴

Because state and city penalties apply independently, someone caught with illegal fireworks in Long Beach can face both.

Civil Liability if Someone Gets Hurt

Criminal and administrative penalties are not the end of the exposure. Anyone whose fireworks injure a neighbor, hurt a bystander, or start a fire that damages property can be sued for damages. California does not cap damages in these personal injury claims, so the financial exposure depends on the severity of the harm. Homeowner’s insurance policies commonly exclude coverage for injuries caused by illegal activity, which typically leaves the person responsible paying any judgment out of pocket.

Legal Ways to See Fireworks in Long Beach

Professional displays are the legal option. The city hosts a free Fourth of July fireworks show at the downtown waterfront, launched from Queensway Bay, with viewing along Shoreline Village, Rainbow Harbor, Marina Green, and the Lions Lighthouse for Sight.⁵ These shows run under permits with licensed pyrotechnicians and meet safety distances that consumer fireworks cannot replicate in a residential setting.

Could the Ban Change?

In October 2025, the City Council asked staff to evaluate whether Long Beach should allow the sale and use of state fire marshal-approved ground-based sparkling devices — the “safe and sane” category. A December 2025 feasibility report laid out three options: keep the current ban, expand drone fireworks shows, or build a “safe and sane” program that would need further council authorization.⁶

No ordinance change has been adopted. The total ban remains in full effect. Any shift to a “safe and sane” program would require a separate council vote at a future meeting.

How to Report Illegal Fireworks

Call the non-emergency Communications Center line at 562-435-6711 to report fireworks. Reserve 911 for situations where someone is injured or a fire has started.³

Complaints can also be submitted through the Go Long Beach App (Apple and Android) or the Go Long Beach website. Include the location, a description of the activity, any photos or video, and license plate numbers if vehicles are involved. That documentation is what lets officers cite hosts and violators after the fact without having personally witnessed the activity.

1
City of Long Beach. Long Beach City Council Approves New Fireworks Ordinance
2
LA County Fire Department. California Health and Safety Code, Division 11, Part 2 – Fireworks
3
City of Long Beach. Long Beach Reminds Residents and Visitors to Celebrate Safely Over Fourth of July
4
California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 12700
5
Visit Long Beach. Free July 4 Fireworks in Long Beach
6
City of Long Beach. Safe and Sane Fireworks Feasibility and Assessment