In the United States, consumer fireworks laws can vary widely from state to state, or even from county to county. It is not uncommon for consumers to cross a state or county line in order to purchase certain types of fireworks which are outlawed where they live. Furthermore, it is common for certain densely populated areas to have restrictions on the time of year which fireworks can be purchased, sold, or used, and have specific selling periods in place. These factors are all influenced by consumer fireworks regulations set forth by the United States government.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission defines what fireworks may be considered consumer fireworks. Below, we have listed the specifications, guidelines, and general consumer fireworks regulations set forth by the US government’s Code of Federal Regulations and the APA Standard 87-1 of the American Pyrotechnics Association. Please remember that these are general consumer fireworks regulations, and you should always check with your local and state gevernments to find out what the official consumer fireworks regulations are in your area.
Composition Limits for 1.4G Fireworks:
| Type of device | Composition limit |
| Fountains, Cone-type | 50 grams |
| Fountains, Cylindrical | 75 grams |
| Skyrockets or Missiles | 20 grams |
| Helicopters | 20 grams |
| Roman Candles | 20 grams |
| Aerial Shells, Mines, Comets | 60 grams |
| Firecrackers or ground-based reports | 0.05 grams per cracker or report |
| Any aerial report component | 0.13 grams per report component |
| Reloadable aerial shells | 60 grams per shell 44 mm. diameter max. 12 shells per package max. 400 grams total per package |
| Aerial display shells | Classified as 1.3G unless tested |
| Multiple-tube devices, dense-packed | Maximum 200 grams total pyrotechnic composition |
| Multiple-tube devices, 500-gram | Maximum 500 grams total pyrotechnic composition Must be on a base Tube separation of 13 mm between tubes |
| Wheels | 60 grams per driver 200 grams total composition |
| Ground Spinners | 20 grams |
| Toy Smoke Devices | 100 grams |
| Wire sparklers | 100 grams |
Chemicals Allowed in 1.4G Fireworks:
| Chemical allowed | Typical use |
| Aluminum | Fuel |
| Ammonium Perchlorate | Oxygen Donor |
| Antimony | Fuel |
| Antimony Sulfide | Fuel |
| Barium Carbonate | Neutralizer |
| Barium Nitrate | Oxygen Donor |
| Barium Sulfate | Oxygen Donor |
| Bismuth Oxide | Oxygen Donor |
| Boric Acid | Neutralizer |
| Calcium Carbonate | Neutralizer |
| Calcium Sulfate | Oxygen Donor |
| Carbon or Charcoal | Fuel |
| Copper Metal | Color Agent |
| Copper Oxide | Oxygen Donor, Color Agent |
| Copper Salts (except Copper Chlorate) | Color Agent |
| Dextrine | Fuel/Binder |
| Hexamethylenenetetramine (Hexamine) | Fuel |
| Iron and Iron Alloys (e.g., ferro/titanium) | Fuel |
| Iron Oxide | Oxygen Donor |
| Magnalium (Magnesium/Aluminum alloy) | Fuel |
| Magnesium Carbonate | Neutralizer |
| Magnesium Sulfate | Oxygen Donor |
| Nitrocellulose based lacquers | Binder |
| Phosphorus, Red (only as provided in regulations) | Fuel |
| Potassium or Sodium Benzoate | Whistle |
| Potassium Bichromate (Potassium Dichromate) (not to exceed 5% of formulation) | Oxygen Donor |
| Potassium Chlorate (only as provided in regulations) | Oxygen Donor |
| Potassium Hydrogen Phthalate | Whistle |
| Potassium Nitrate | Oxygen Donor |
| Potassium Perchlorate | Oxygen Donor |
| Potassium Sulfate | Oxygen Donor |
| Silicon | Fuel |
| Sodium Bicarbonate (Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate) | Neutralizer |
| Sodium Nitrate | Oxygen Donor |
| Sodium Salicylate | Whistle |
| Sodium Salts (except Sodium Chlorate) | Color Agent |
| Sodium Sulfate | Oxygen Donor |
| Strontium Carbonate | Color Agent |
| Strontium Nitrate | Oxygen Donor |
| Strontium Salts (except Strontium Chlorate) | Color Agent |
| Strontium Sulfate | Oxygen Donor |
| Sulfur | Fuel |
| Titanium (particle size must not pass through 100 mesh sieve) | Fuel |
| Miscellaneous Compounds Allowed | |
| Organic compounds (compounds such as lactose, shellac, red gum, chlorinated paraffin and polyvinyl chloride, consisting of some combination of carbon with hydrogen, oxygen and/or chlorine; nitrogen may be present if it accounts for less than 10% (by weight) of the compound.) | |
| Nitrocellulose containing greater than 10% nitrogen by weight is permitted as a propelling or expelling charge provided there is less than 15 grams of nitrocellulose per article. | |
| NOTE: Exact chemical identity of each “Organic compound” must be included when submitting an Approval Application to the U.S. DOT. | |
Chemicals Prohibited in 1.4G Fireworks:
| Arsenic sulfide, arsenates, or arsenites |
| Boron |
| Chlorates, except: a. In colored smoke mixtures in which an equal or greater weight of sodium bicarbonate is included b. In party poppers c. In those small items (such as ground spinners) wherein the total powder content does not exceed 4 grams, of which not greater than 15% (or 600 mg) is potassium, sodium, or barium chlorate d. In firecrackers e. In toy caps |
| Gallates or gallic acid |
| Lead, including lead tetroxide (red lead oxide) and other lead compounds |
| Magnesium (magnesium/aluminum alloys, called magnalium, are permitted) |
| Mercury salts |
| Phosphorus (red or white) (red phosphorus is permissible in caps and party poppers) |
| Picrates or picric acid |
| Thiocyanates |
| Titanium, except in particle size too large to pass through a 100-mesh sieve |
| Zirconium |
