NJ fireworks law compared to every other state

New Jersey takes the danger of fireworks seriously. With good reason. Take for example the incident two years ago when a person in Jersey City was hit in the neck with fireworks and was killed.

Last July, Forbes ran a story on how fireworks deaths and injuries are skyrocketing. Just from 2019 to 2020 non-occupational fireworks deaths increased 50% in the United States from 12 to 18. And injuries bad enough to require an emergency room? Up from 10,000 to 15,600.

That’s not just pandemic boredom. In 2008 the injury toll was 7,000. The increases have been dramatic.

In 2017, New Jersey fireworks laws were loosened to allow ones that don’t explode and are not aerial. Basically things like poppers, sparklers and such. But New Jersey is geographically a small state therefore it’s very easy to make a short drive into Pennsylvania where basically anything goes.

The way worldpopulationreview.com’s piece "Fireworks Laws by State 2022" explains it, what’s legal in Pennsylvania is:

“Consumer fireworks that comply with the construction, chemical composition and labeling requirements of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and comply with the consumer fireworks provisions of APA Standard 87-1.”

In other words, if it’s legal anywhere you can get it in Pennsylvania.

So how does New Jersey’s fireworks law compare to other states? Only Massachusetts is more strict. Iowa is a state whose prohibited fireworks is listed as "none."

Take a look these fireworks laws and see what’s allowed vs. what’s prohibited in all 50 states.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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