New Year's 2026 Fireworks Laws: What’s Legal In GA

Fireworks to ring in the new year is a staple in the Georgia community, but before you start igniting pyrotechnics, be sure you know state laws on consumer fireworks.

Georgians will light up the sky Wednesday into Thursday as the clock strikes midnight to welcome 2026, but authorities in multiple counties warned fireworks must stop after 1 a.m. in observance of New Year's Eve. On New Year's Day, fireworks may spark until midnight.

Georgia law states that fireworks cannot be sparked near a public roadway or railroad, cannot be sold to anyone younger than age 18 and cannot be sold from a car or a tent.

One of the Georgia counties with a harsher ordinance is Cobb County, which prohibits use of fireworks from 9 p.m. to 10 a.m. daily. This excludes specified holidays.

Cobb celebrants cannot light fireworks within 100 yards of hospitals, gas stations, jails, schools or power plants.

In Milton, fireworks cannot be lit within 200 yards of properties with equines, such as horses, donkeys, ponies and mules.

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If you’re getting fireworks to celebrate New Year's Day, follow these safety tips:

• Don’t allow young children to play with fireworks, including sparklers.
• Keep a bucket of water or garden hose nearby so you can douse a fire quickly.
• Light fireworks one at a time, then quickly step back.
• Never attempt to re-light or pick up a firework that did not ignite correctly.
• Don’t use fireworks if impaired by alcohol or drugs.

If you are not planning your own fireworks display at home, and are looking for community displays, you may want to attend "Countdown Over ATL."

The City of Atlanta is hosting the event on Wednesday. The fireworks show can be seen in downtown and midtown Atlanta.

“The Annual Peach Drop has been a big part of our city’s New Year’s Eve since 1989, bringing people together in a way only Atlanta can. However, this New Year’s Eve, we are reimagining that tradition with Countdown Over ATL,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a news release.

“We cannot wait for residents and visitors to experience several fireworks displays that will light up the night across Atlanta. All you have to do is step outside, hit your neighborhood spot, meet on a rooftop or watch from your backyard, and you’ll be part of one special shared moment. Atlanta is a city of opportunity for all, and this year we are going to meet you where you are.”

The Digital Drone Peach in the Sky drone show will begin at 11:45 p.m., followed by midnight fireworks.