Iowa vs Illinois Fireworks Laws

Have you or your neighbors been shooting off fireworks in the Quad Cities the past week or 2? Well, if you or your neighbors have been, you've definitely been breaking the law on either side of the Quad Cities.

As the 4th of July approaches, everyone is hearing more and more fireworks go off in the neighborhood. Whether you are enjoying some firework fun, or you're hearing your neighbors shoot them off, either way, the law is most likely being broken.

We have given you news lately that some towns in the Quad Cities or surrounding area have either announced they have cancelled, postponed, or are continuing their fireworks shows. Bettendorf announced that they are postponing their 4th of July fireworks show. Davenport has moved their fireworks show to July 3rd. Clinton is still having their 4th of July Festival. East Moline has cancelled their fireworks show also.

Even though it feels like there is going to be little to no fireworks this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, taking it into our own hands to have a fireworks show before the 4th of July is illegal in the Quad Cities.

The Davenport Police Department put a great and trendy post up on Facebook telling people it is illegal to shoot off fireworks in Davenport before the 4th of July. Both Davenport and Bettendorf have the same fireworks laws. Those laws are as follows:

• July 3 and July 4 from 2 p.m. until 11 p.m.
• December 31 from 10 p.m. until 12:30 a.m.

Fireworks shot off not within those times can face a $250 fine plus court cost on their first offense.

• Davenport fireworks laws.
• Bettendorf fireworks laws.

On the Illinois side, fireworks laws are made at the state level. According to the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall, Illinoisans can use the following "novelty fireworks":

• 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 twentyfive 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.

Fireworks that Illinois consumers cannot use are as follows (not limited to):

• Hand held fireworks
• Bottle rockets
• Firecrackers of any size or type
• Sky rockets
• Roman candles
• Chasers
• Buzz bombs
• Ground items other than those identified as Approved Consumer Fireworks
• Helicopters
• Missiles
• Pin wheels or any other twirling device whether on the ground or mounted above the ground
• Planes
• Sky Lanterns, the type of balloon which requires fire underneath to propel same

If fireworks are purchased legally in the state of Iowa, that does not mean a person can bring them across state lines to Illinois. Those fireworks will become illegal in the state of Illinois.

The full list of fireworks that are legal and illegal in the state of Illinois can be found here.