Reminders About Fireworks Use For Austin And Surrounding Areas

AUSTIN, TX -- While it's tempting to celebrate the start of 2019 with a bang, city officials remind residents to be mindful that fireworks are prohibited within the city limits of Austin and many of its surrounding communities. Specifically, the City of Austin has adopted an ordinance forbidding the storage, use, and handling of fireworks and residents may access their page to better understand city policies.

To enforce compliance, in coordination with the 311 system, police department units are dispatched via the non-emergency line. Nothwistanding, the Fire Marshal's Office may still issue citations for violating the fireworks ordinance and prosecutes any persons responsible for fires that may occur due to illegal fireworks use.

According to the City of Austin website, The U.S. Department of Transportation does not classify the following items listed as common fireworks, and their use is allowed within the City of Austin:

• Snake, GlowWorms – Pressed pellet of pyrotechnic composition that produces a large, snakelike ash upon burning. The ash expands in length as the pellet burns. These devices may not contain mercuric thiocyanate.
• Smoke Device – Tube or sphere containing pyrotechnic composition that, upon ignition, produces white or colored smoke as the primary effect.
• Wire Sparkler – Wire coated with pyrotechnic composition that produces a shower of sparks upon ignition. These items may not contain magnesium and must not exceed 100g of composition per item. Devices containing any chlorate or perchlorate salts may not exceed 5g of composition per item.
• Trick Noisemaker – Item produces a small report intended to surprise the user. These devices include:
  • Party Popper – Small plastic or paper item containing not more than 16mg of explosive composition that is friction-sensitive. A string protruding from the device is pulled to ignite it, expelling paper streams and producing a small report.
  • Booby Trap – Small tube with string protruding from both ends, similar to a party popper in design. The ends of the string are pulled to ignite the friction-sensitive composition, producing a small report.
  • Snapper – Small, paper-wrapped item containing a minute quantity of explosive composition coated on small bits of sand. When dropped, the device explodes, producing a small report.
  • Trick Match – Kitchen or book match that has been coated with a small quantity of explosive or pyrotechnic composition. Upon ignition of the match, a small report or a shower of sparks is produced.
  • Cigarette Load – Small wooden peg that has been coated with a small quantity of explosive or pyrotechnic composition. Upon ignition of the match, a small report or a shower of sparks is produced.
  • Auto Burglar Alarm – A tube which contains pyrotechnic composition that produces a loud whistle and/or smoke when ignited. A small quantity of explosive, not exceeding 50mg, also may be used to produce a small report. A squib is used to ignite the device.

For information about your community's policy on fireworks and how these ordinances are enforced, click on the respective links list below.

• Travis County
• Hays County
• Williamson County

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