Are Fireworks Legal in Iowa?
Yes, and a 2025 law change made it even harder for cities to restrict them. Iowa legalized consumer fireworks in 2017, and as of July 1, 2025, Senate File 303 prevents city councils and county boards from banning or limiting fireworks use on July 3rd, July 4th, and December 31st. Cities like Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City that previously banned consumer fireworks within their limits can no longer enforce those bans on those three key dates.
What You Can Buy
Iowa allows both first-class and second-class consumer fireworks. First-class items include the big stuff: aerial shell kits, reloadable tubes, helicopters, aerial spinners, firecrackers, mine and shell devices, missile-type rockets, Roman candles, sky rockets, and bottle rockets. Second-class items are ground-based: cone and cylindrical fountains, sparklers, ground spinners, wheels, illuminating torches, and smoke devices.
Novelty items — snappers, snakes, poppers, smoke balls, and toy caps — are exempt from the fireworks statute entirely and can be purchased and used without restriction.
When You Can Buy
Iowa allows fireworks sales during two windows:
- June 1 through July 8
- December 10 through January 3
When You Can Use Them
Use dates align with the sales windows, but hours vary by day:
- Most days within the sales window: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- July 4 and weekends immediately before/after July 4: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- December 31: 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. on January 1
Under the 2025 law, cities cannot restrict fireworks use on July 3, July 4, and December 31 beyond what state code allows. On other days within the sales window, cities retain the ability to limit or prohibit use.
Age Requirement
You must be at least 18 years old to purchase consumer fireworks. Selling to anyone under 18 is a simple misdemeanor with a minimum fine of $250. Minors should only handle fireworks under direct adult supervision.
Where You Can Use Them
Fireworks may only be used on your own property or on the property of someone who has given consent. Using fireworks on public property — parks, streets, sidewalks, parking lots — is prohibited without specific local government authorization. Des Moines warned that in 2024, a third of its 77 parks were damaged by unlawful fireworks, with some requiring closure for repairs.
Local Rules Still Apply (Mostly)
Cities can still ban or restrict fireworks on dates other than July 3, 4, and December 31. Many Iowa communities have their own ordinances with varying levels of restriction. Council Bluffs, for example, only permits fireworks on July 3 and 4. Storm Lake recently updated its code to reflect the state law change. Always check your city's current rules.
Penalties
Using fireworks outside permitted dates and times is a simple misdemeanor with a minimum fine of $250. Courts cannot impose jail time for basic use violations. Fines escalate in many cities — Bettendorf charges $250 for a first offense, $400 for a second, and $625 for subsequent violations. Davenport adds court costs pushing first offenses to around $400. Selling fireworks without a license or to minors carries fines up to $1,875 and possible imprisonment for up to one year.
Where to Buy
Licensed fireworks retailers operate seasonal tents and stands across Iowa starting June 1, with the heaviest concentration along I-80, I-35, and I-380 corridors. Permanent stores also operate near the Missouri and Nebraska borders. Iowa's licensing fees fund the State Fire Marshal's enforcement efforts and the Local Fire Protection Grant Program.
Local tip: The 2025 law change is a big deal. If your city previously banned fireworks on July 4th, that ban no longer holds. But it only covers July 3, 4, and December 31 — every other day within the sales window is still subject to whatever your city decides. And public property remains off-limits everywhere. Do not set off fireworks in the park just because the state loosened the rules.