Are Fireworks Legal in the UK? Times, Places, and Penalties

Fireworks are legal in the UK, but the rules around them are tighter than most people expect. The Fireworks Act 2003 and the Fireworks Regulations 2004 set the framework across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, covering who can buy fireworks, which types are permitted, and exactly when and where they can be set off.¹ Scotland and Northern Ireland then add their own requirements on top.

When You Can Set Off Fireworks

A nighttime curfew is the rule most people meet first. In England and Wales, setting off fireworks between 11 PM and 7 AM is a criminal offence.² Four annual celebrations get an extended deadline:

Bonfire Night (5 November): fireworks permitted until midnight.
New Year’s Eve: fireworks permitted until 1 AM on 1 January.
Diwali: fireworks permitted until 1 AM.
Chinese New Year: fireworks permitted until 1 AM.

Outside those four nights, the 11 PM cutoff is firm.³ Breaking the curfew can result in an unlimited fine, up to six months in prison, or both. Police can also issue on-the-spot fines of £90.²

Where You Can Set Them Off

Fireworks, sparklers included, can only be set off on private property. Your own garden counts, and so does someone else’s land if you have the owner’s permission. Streets, parks, and other public places are off limits.² That applies to every type of firework, not just the larger ones.

Throwing or aiming fireworks at people, vehicles, or buildings is a separate criminal offence, and so is tossing a lit firework into a street or public space. These offences carry the same penalties as other fireworks violations: an unlimited fine, up to six months’ imprisonment, or both.²

If your fireworks damage a neighbour’s property or injure someone, you face civil liability on top of any criminal penalty. Debris on next door’s lawn, scorch marks on fences, or a pet that swallows firework remnants can all give rise to a compensation claim. Position your display with that in mind.

Who Can Buy Fireworks and What’s Sold

You must be at least 18 to buy Category F2 or F3 fireworks, which cover everything from garden fountains to large display rockets.⁴ It is also an offence for anyone under 18 to possess these fireworks in a public place.² Category F1 items like party poppers carry no specific age restriction in current legislation, though sparkler packaging must warn that they should not be given to children under five.

Every firework sold in the UK falls into one of four categories under the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015. The category determines where an item can be used, who can buy it, and how far spectators need to stand:

Category F1: very low hazard with negligible noise, designed for use in confined spaces including indoors. Party poppers and Christmas crackers sit here.
Category F2: low hazard and low noise, intended for outdoor use in confined areas. Typical “garden fireworks,” requiring a minimum viewing distance of 8 metres.
Category F3: medium hazard, intended for outdoor use in large open areas. Often called “display fireworks,” requiring spectators at least 25 metres away.
Category F4: high hazard, restricted to people with specialist knowledge and not available to the general public.

The categories are defined by the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015.⁴

Certain types are banned from public sale regardless of category. In Northern Ireland the banned list explicitly includes bangers, double bangers, jumping crackers, mini-rockets with a primary bang effect, and aerial wheels.⁵ Similar restrictions apply in England and Wales under the Fireworks Regulations 2004, which prohibit supply of fireworks that exceed safety thresholds.⁶

All consumer fireworks (F1, F2, and F3) are capped at 120 decibels, measured at 15 metres from the testing point and one metre above the ground.⁷ For context, that’s roughly the volume of a chainsaw at close range.

When Shops Can Sell Fireworks

You cannot walk into any shop and buy fireworks year-round. Sales to the public are restricted to specific windows around the celebrations most associated with them:⁸

Bonfire Night: 15 October to 10 November.
New Year’s Eve: 26 December to 31 December.
Chinese New Year: the first day of Chinese New Year and the three days before it.
Diwali: the first day of Diwali and the three days before it.

Outside these windows, only shops holding a year-round selling licence issued by their local council can sell fireworks.⁸ Even in-season sellers still need a storage licence. Your local council handles both.

Storing and Transporting Fireworks at Home

Buying a few days before your display is fine, but keep an eye on the weight. Under the Explosives Regulations 2014, you can store up to 50 kg (net explosive quantity) of Hazard Type 4 fireworks at home for no longer than 21 days without a licence, provided they are not for sale or use at work.⁹ A separate allowance covers Hazard Type 3 fireworks: up to 100 kg, but only for five days at the place where you intend to use them. You can only claim one allowance, not both.¹⁰

Net explosive quantity is the weight of the explosive content itself, not the total weight of the firework. A 20 kg box of fireworks may contain far less than 20 kg of explosive. If the manufacturer states the explosive content, use that figure.

The 50 kg limit also applies when transporting fireworks by car. Carrying more than 50 kg without a licence or registration is an offence. After a display, wear heavy gloves and soak spent fireworks in water overnight before bagging them with general waste. Never put still-hot fireworks in a bin.

Scotland’s Additional Restrictions

Scotland has its own fireworks legislation on top of the UK-wide rules. The Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 introduced a licensing requirement for anyone wanting to buy or use Category F2 or F3 fireworks.¹¹ A licence is personal, non-transferable, and valid only for the period stated on it. If you live in or plan to set off fireworks in Scotland, check with the Scottish Government for current application details.

Firework Control Zones

The 2022 Act also lets Scottish local authorities designate Firework Control Zones. Within a zone, typically active in the first ten days of November, it is a criminal offence for any member of the public to set off a firework, including from a private garden. Launching a firework into a zone from outside its boundary is also an offence. Sparklers are exempt. Breaches carry up to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of up to £5,000. Glasgow’s three zones (Pollokshields, Govanhill, and Broomhouse) are expected to remain active for November 2026, and other councils can designate more zones at their discretion.¹¹

Northern Ireland’s Licensing System

Northern Ireland takes the strictest approach in the UK. You need a fireworks licence issued by the Department of Justice before you can buy, possess, or use any firework except Category F1 items and Category F2 sparklers.⁵ Separate application forms exist for garden fireworks (F2) and display fireworks (F3), and you must show your licence to the retailer at the point of sale.

Selling fireworks in Northern Ireland without Department of Justice authorisation can lead to a fine of up to £5,000, imprisonment, or both.¹² Anyone planning a display with spectators needs to apply well in advance. The licence fee starts at £30 for events with fewer than 100 spectators and rises with the expected audience.¹³ Application deadlines are strict; for Halloween displays in 2025, for example, the deadline fell in mid-October.

Fireworks, Neighbours, and Animals

People often assume the Animal Welfare Act 2006 offers a route to hold noisy neighbours accountable when fireworks distress pets. In practice, the law sets a high bar. A prosecution under Section 4 (causing unnecessary suffering) would require proof that the person setting off fireworks knew, or should reasonably have known, the effect their actions would have on a specific animal. Expert analysis has found that burden of proof prohibitively difficult to meet, given that a display held within the regulations is a lawful activity the Act was not designed to criminalise.

The practical risk to animals is still real. If you own pets or livestock, bring animals indoors on expected firework nights, close curtains, and use background noise to muffle the sound. If you are planning your own display, giving neighbours advance warning is both courteous and a sensible way to avoid disputes.

Penalties at a Glance

Penalties for breaking UK fireworks law are steeper than most people realise. In England and Wales, selling or using fireworks illegally can result in an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison.² Police can also issue £90 on-the-spot fines for lower-level offences like setting off a firework after the curfew or in a public place. In Northern Ireland, the maximum fine for selling fireworks without authorisation is £5,000, with imprisonment also possible.¹² Scotland’s Firework Control Zone breaches carry a fine of up to £5,000 and up to six months in prison. These figures apply to individuals; organisers of unlicensed public events face additional consequences.

1
Legislation.gov.uk. Fireworks Act 2003
2
GOV.UK. Fireworks: The Law
3
Legislation.gov.uk. The Fireworks Regulations 2004 – Explanatory Note
4
Legislation.gov.uk. Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015 – Schedules
5
nidirect. Fireworks
6
Legislation.gov.uk. The Fireworks Regulations 2004
7
UK Parliament. Regulation of Fireworks
8
GOV.UK. Fireworks Manufacture, Storage and Sales Licences: Contact Your Council
9
HSE. Storing and Selling Fireworks
10
HSE. Storing Explosives
11
Legislation.gov.uk. Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 – Part 2
12
nibusinessinfo.co.uk. Fireworks Categories and Your Business
13
Department of Justice. Keep Fireworks Fun, Remember to Get a Licence Says Long