The Fourth of July 2025 is in just two weeks, which means it’s almost time for Florida beach towns to light up the state’s 825 miles of sandy beaches with fireworks shows.
But what if you want to have a fireworks show of your own? Here’s when it’s legal to set fireworks off in Florida, how old you have to be to buy them, how to store or dispose of them and if you can set fireworks off on Florida beaches.
What weekend will Fourth of July be celebrated in 2025?
The Fourth of July falls on a Friday this year, giving most people a long weekend to celebrate. It’s coming up in two weeks, on Friday, July 4, 2025.
Are you allowed to shoot fireworks in Florida?
Setting off fireworks used to be illegal in Florida, but a 2020 Florida Senate bill made exemptions for designated holidays, like the Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Rules can vary from city to city, so check your local ordinances to make sure you know where and when you can set fireworks off in your town.
What days are fireworks legal in Florida?
The Fourth of July is one of the three designated holidays when setting off fireworks is allowed in Florida.
The other two are New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Can an HOA prohibit fireworks in Florida?
The law that allows Floridians to shoot fireworks on the Fourth of July doesn’t supersede any pre-existing local government laws or neighborhood rules and restrictions that were created before 2020. But the law does restrict cities and HOAs from making new rules to prevent residents from taking advantage of the three fireworks holidays.
If you live in an HOA community, double check if using fireworks is permitted in your neighborhood.
Can you light off fireworks at the beach in Florida?
Most beach towns in Florida don’t allow residents to shoot fireworks from the beach.
Most beachside cities and towns host a fireworks show for residents. But if you want to set off your own fireworks, the beach probably isn’t the best place to do it.
Check your local ordinances to be sure.
Can you keep fireworks for next year?
Fireworks don’t technically expire, but using old fireworks could pose a safety risk. Old fireworks are only safe to use if they are not wet or damaged and the fuse is still intact.
“The shelf life of fireworks is 8 to 20 years when kept in a cold, dry, and safe storage container,” According to Dynamite Fireworks.
“That said, it is best practice to use fireworks in the same seasonal timeframe within which they are purchased to avoid the dangers of decay caused by moisture, unsafe storage, and unintended tampering in storage from animals like mice, rats, and squirrels, or even cats.”
You can try to use your old fireworks from New Year’s Eve or last Fourth of July, but it’s probably best to just use new fireworks to avoid any accidents.
If you insist on trying to store and save your unused fireworks for future use, here are some safety tips from Dynamite Fireworks:
Do you have to be 18 or 21 to buy fireworks in Florida?
You have to be 18 years old to legally buy fireworks in Florida.
How to deal with, dispose of unused fireworks
Fireworks should be thrown out as trash. But whether they’re used or unused, you shouldn’t put fireworks or any part of a firework in your recycling bin.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Can you light fireworks at the beach in Florida? What to know before the Fourth of July
Reporting by Lianna Norman, Samantha Neely and C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
