Just about everyone enjoys watching fireworks.

But did you know that,

Discharging or even being in possession of fireworks

is illegal in Illinois and

the City of Quincy also has an ordinance as well.

(Check out the State Statute and City Ordinance below)

Anyone violating the State Statute or

the City of Quincy Ordinance

is subject to arrest and a fine.

So enjoy the legal fireworks displays put on

by the professionals around the city

and have a Safe and Happy Fourth of July!

(Illinois State Statutes 425 ILCS 35/2)

Sec. 2. Possession, sale, and use of fireworks. Except as hereinafter provided it shall be unlawful for any person, firm, co‑partnership, or corporation to knowingly possess, offer for sale, expose for sale, sell at retail, or use or explode any display fireworks, flame effects, or consumer fireworks; provided that city councils in cities, the president and board of trustees in villages and incorporated towns, and outside the corporate limits of cities, villages and incorporated towns, the county board, shall have power to adopt reasonable rules and regulations for the granting of permits for pyrotechnic and consumer displays.

(Source: P.A. 93‑263, eff. 7‑22‑03; 94‑658, eff. 1‑1‑06.)

(425 ILCS 35/1) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 127)

Sec. 1. Definitions. As used in this Act, the following words shall have the following meanings:

(the following is an excerpt from the statute)

"Consumer fireworks" means those fireworks that must comply with the construction, chemical composition, and labeling regulations of the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, as set forth in 16 C.F.R. Parts 1500 and 1507, and classified as fireworks UN0336 or UN0337 by the United States Department of Transportation under 49 C.F.R. 172.101. "Consumer fireworks" shall not include snake or glow worm pellets; smoke devices; trick noisemakers known as "party poppers", "booby traps", "snappers", "trick matches", "cigarette loads", and "auto burglar alarms"; sparklers; toy pistols, toy canes, toy guns, or other devices in which paper or plastic caps containing twenty‑five hundredths grains or less of explosive compound are used, provided they are so constructed that the hand cannot come in contact with the cap when in place for the explosion; and toy pistol paper or plastic caps that contain less than twenty hundredths grains of explosive mixture; the sale and use of which shall be permitted at all times.

"Display fireworks" means 1.3G or special effects fireworks or as further defined in the Pyrotechnic Operator Licensing Act.

"Flame effect" means the detonation, ignition, or deflagration of flammable gases, liquids, or special materials to produce a thermal, physical, visual, or audible effect before the public, invitees, or licensees, regardless of whether admission is charged, in accordance with National Fire Protection Association 160 guidelines, and as may be further defined in the Pyrotechnic Operator Licensing Act.

The City of Quincy also has a City Ordinance 30.101

that states it shall be unlawful to

Possess, Discharge, Set Off, Light, Activate or Ignite fireworks

ARTICLE I     EXPLOSIVES AND FIREWORKS

Section 30.101   Fireworks   

            (1) It shall be unlawful to possess, discharge, set off, light, activate

or ignitefireworks or to give any pyrotechnic display utilizing any type of firework in the city except by a person or firm duly licensed under the provisions of the Illinois Explosives Act or by a person or firm deemed by the Fire Chief to possess the expertise and judgment sufficient to conduct such display in safety.

                 (a) “Fireworks" when used in this subpart (1) of this Section 30.101

shall mean and include any explosive composition, or any substance or combination of substances, or article prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or audible effect of a temporary exhibitional nature by explosion, combustion, deflagration or detonation, and shall include blank cartridges, toy cannons, in which explosives are used, the type of balloons which require fire underneath to propel the same, firecrackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, roman candles, bombs, or other fireworks of like construction and any fireworks containing any explosive compound or any tablets or other device containing any explosive substance, or containing combustible substances producing visual effects; provided, however, that the term "fireworks" shall not include snake or glow worm pellets; smoke devices; trick noisemakers known as "party poppers", "booby traps", "snappers", "trick matches", "cigarette loads" and "auto burglar alarms"; sparklers, toy pistols, toy canes, toy guns, or other devices in which paper or plastic caps containing twenty-five hundredths grains or less of explosive compound are used, providing they are so constructed that the hand cannot come in contact with the cap when in place for the explosion; and toy pistol paper or plastic caps which contain less than twenty hundredths grains.

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