NEW YORK (PIX11) – Spoiler alert: You may want to rethink launching those fireworks if you live in New York state.
Fireworks, including firecrackers, bottle rockets, roman candles, spinners and aerial devices are illegal statewide, according to the governor's office. If you want to launch fireworks in New York, you must be a certified pyrotechnic and have undergone all state-conducted inspections.
Sparklers are only legal in some areas of New York state – in cities with populations of less than 1 million people. That means you can't use a sparkler in New York City, which has a population of 8.2 million people.
It's also illegal to use sparklers on Long Island.
Sparklers are defined as ground-based or handheld sparkling devices that create a shower of colored sparks or flame, making a crackling or whistling noise and producing smoke. Sparklers also don't launch into the air like fireworks do.
If you're outside New York City, the state recommends contacting your sheriff's office to see if sparklers are allowed. You must be 18 years or older to use a sparkler, according to state law.
There were 173 fireworks-related injuries in 2022, according to the governor's office. Around 25% of those patients were 18 years old or younger.
Some common causes of firework-related injuries are a firecracker that explodes before it can be thrown, a misguided rocket hitting a bystander or a child investigating why a firecracker failed to explode.
If you're local to New York City and want to see fireworks on the Fourth of July, you can check out the Macy’s fireworks show. It's free to watch along the Hudson River between West 14th and West 34th streets.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
