Are fireworks legal in Illinois? What to know about Fourth of July, how you can celebrate

The Fourth of July is nearly here and for some, celebrating with fireworks is essential for the holiday as grilling out hamburgers, hot dogs and brats.

While some fireworks are legal, there are a lot that are not. There are three levels of government to consider when looking into the legality of fireworks — federal regulations, state laws and local ordinances.

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Here's what you need to know about Independence Day, fireworks and their use heading into the Fourth of July in Illinois:

When is Independence Day 2023?

July 4th lands on a Tuesday in 2023.

Why do we celebrate 4th of July?

Congress voted in favor of Americans creating their independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, according to Brittanica.com. However, revisions to the Declaration of Independence drafted by Thomas Jefferson in consultation with John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, William Livingston and Roger Sherman did not occur until July 4, 1776.

Why is the Fourth of July celebrated with fireworks?

According to Brittanica.com, fireworks have always been an essential part of celebrating the Fourth of July:

Are fireworks legal in Illinois?

Some fireworks are legal, but they are limited to the amount of explosive material that may be used.

On a federal level, devices such as cherry bombs, M-80s, M-100s, quarter sticks, silver salutes and the like are considered illegal because they exceed limits for consumer fireworks set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Additionally, they are banned by many states.

According to Illinois law, most consumer fireworks are illegal even though they can be purchased in neighboring states such as Indiana or Iowa. The law doesn't consider items containing less than 25 hundredths grains of explosive mixture as a firework, which deems lower-level products to be legal.

Residents still need to check in with their local city ordinances to make sure there aren't any banned items to the list. For example, all fireworks are illegal in the city limits of Chicago, including sparklers.

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List of illegal fireworks in Illinois

• Buzz bombs

• Bottle rockets

• Chasers

• Firecrackers

• Handheld fireworks

• Helicopters

• Missiles

• Pin wheels

• Planes

• Roman candles

• Skyrockets

• Torpedoes

List of legal fireworks in Illinois

These products are mostly novelty items:

• 'Auto burglar alarms'

• ‘Booby traps’

• 'Cigarette loads'

• Glow worms pellets

• ‘Party poppers’

• Smoke devices

• Snakes pellets

• ‘Snappers’

• Sparklers

• Toy canes, guns and pistols using paper or plastic caps meeting the less than 25 hundredths grains requirement

• 'Trick matches'

Where to watch fireworks near me in 2023

Several places will be holding fireworks shows around the Fourth of July, but not all displays will launch on Independence Day with the holiday falling on a Tuesday. Visit pjstar.com to see where you can catch a fireworks show near you.

Chris Sims is a digital producer for the Journal Star. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois fireworks laws 2023: What's legal and illegal for July 4th