Fireworks In The Yard
ORS 480.120 and ORS 480.165 — only consumer fireworks from a permitted seller, and up to $500 a violation
Oregon prohibits selling, possessing, using or exploding any fireworks, with listed exceptions. The one that reaches a household is the sale of consumer fireworks to members of the public for personal use, delivered at the time of sale by the holder of a state retail sales permit.
Consumer fireworks are cone and cylindrical fountains, flitter sparklers, ground spinners, illuminating torches and wheels, and other items with 500 grams or less of pyrotechnic composition that the State Fire Marshal recognizes by rule as suitable for retail sale to the public. Display fireworks are a separate category, sold only for permitted public displays.
Local bans govern. Nothing in the fireworks law or a state permit authorizes the sale or use of fireworks in a city, county or fire protection district where local law prohibits it, and no local government may authorize fireworks the state law prohibits.
| Penalty | Amount |
|---|---|
| PenaltyCivil penalty from the State Fire Marshal | AmountUp to $500 per violation, each day a separate offense |
| PenaltyA member of the public possessing fireworks worth less than $50 | AmountNot subject to the civil penalty |
Parents may be liable for the cost of suppressing a fire a child starts with fireworks. Criminal penalties and the rules for permitted displays are in sections not reproduced here. Whether a particular item is a consumer firework is a question for the State Fire Marshal or a licensed Oregon attorney.
Sources for this section (4)
- ORS 480.120 — Sale, possession and use of fireworks prohibited
- ORS 480.111 — Definitions for ORS 480.111 to 480.165
- ORS 480.160 — Local regulation and effect of state law
- ORS 480.165 — Civil penalty for fireworks law violations
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Oregon attorney.