Salt Lake City

Fire Department

www.SLCFIRE.com

Fireworks Sales & Use, Sky Lanterns and, Smoking Restrictions

The use of fireworks is restricted in Salt Lake City limits.
Please review this map to determine which areas allow fireworks and which do not.

Salt Lake City Fireworks Restrictions: to help prevent the possibility of accidental fire, fireworks may not be discharged in any red area of this map. Click the map image to access an interactive online version.

Note: During the upcoming season, SLC Fire will have additional personnel available to educate and enforce fireworks codes and restrictions.

Those caught violating firework restrictions may incur a $1,000 fine.

Note: Only propane-fueled camping stoves may be used in City Creek Canyon. All open fires and charcoal grills are restricted in that area.

Firework Rules, Laws, and Regulation

  • 1.4G fireworks (formally known as “Class-C” fireworks) are defined as “Consumer Fireworks”.
  • Aerial “cake” fireworks are considered 1.4G fireworks provided that they are made up of 500 grams or less of pyrotechnic composition materials. It is legal to sell, store, and to use provided it is done within the parameters of the law (https://rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r710/r710-002.htm
  • “Aerial device” is defined as a cake that is a collection of mine/shell tubes that has a single covered fuse which is used to light several tubes in sequence. A cake may also be defined as an aerial repeater or multi-shot aerial and does not exceed more than 500 grams of pyrotechnic composition.
  • The following list of fireworks are prohibited, but not limited to:
    • Cherry bombs
    • Roman candles
    • Skyrockets
    • Bottle rockets
    • Single shot mortars
    • M-80’s
    • Firecrackers
    • Any non-cake aerial device
  • A permit is required for all sales of fireworks.
  • Firework stands and inside sales (stores) are required to have an inspection by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) or designee prior to sales being done.
  • No fireworks discharge shall be allowed within the distance of 150 ft. of the fireworks stand or trailer.

References:

Selling Fireworks

License required

It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business of selling fireworks without first having obtained a license to do so. Licenses shall be designated as indoor sales or outdoor sales.

License Fees

1. The fee for a license to sell fireworks shall be as set forth by the applicable Salt Lake City Code.

2. The above license fees must be paid at least ten (10) days prior to the opening of the business, and the license shall date from approval of issuance by the city and shall expire on the date of expiration of the annual base business revenue license as set forth by applicable Salt Lake City Ordinances.

Outdoor Sales

1. All stands and/or trailers shall comply with the applicable provisions of the Salt
Lake City Code, as amended, or any successor provision. No stand shall be
erected on the sales site, nor shall any trailer be placed on the sales site more
than five (5) days prior to each of the dates that sales are permitted under
state law.

2. The fireworks stands or trailers must be removed within five (5) days after the
end of each of the sales periods.

3. All electrical installations associated with temporary stands or trailers shall
conform to the applicable National Electrical Code.

4. No stand or trailer shall be installed or located except in accordance with the
applicable zoning ordinances.

5. Each stand or trailer shall have an approved fire extinguisher, Type 2A-10BC, or
approved Salt Lake City fire department equivalent.

6. No stand or trailer shall be located in such a way as to eliminate the off-street
parking required by the applicable zoning ordinances.

7. All stands or trailers shall have an aisle within them that shall be maintained
free and clear of all obstructions and which shall be at least three (3) feet in
width.

8. All stands or trailers shall be so constructed that customers may not reach the
fireworks until the fireworks are actually purchased.

9. All stands and trailers shall be securely locked when not in use, and no person
shall be allowed to sleep overnight in the stand or trailer.

10. All fireworks retail sales locations shall be under the direct supervision of a
responsible person who is eighteen (18) years of age or older.

11. Those selling fireworks at retail sales locations shall be at least sixteen (16)
years of age or older.

12. The area surrounding the stand or trailer shall be kept free and clear of all
weeds, debris and other flammable materials for a distance of twenty-five (25)
feet in all directions from the stand or trailer, and such stand or trailer shall be
located upon hard-surfaced areas only.

13. Temporary stands, trailers or tents for the sale of class C common state
approved explosives shall be located at least fifty (50) feet from other stands,
trailers, tents, LPG, flammable liquid or gas storage and dispensing units.

Restrictions on cigarettes, cigars, or other similar products:

  • Cigarettes may only be smoked within the confines of a vehicle in City Creek Canyon.
  • Salt Lake City has an ordinance that allows the recovery of costs, associated with extinguishing a fire, caused by the negligent use of fireworks, fires and/or the improper extinguishment of cigarettes.
  • Costs associated with fighting large, grass fires can cost well into the tens-of-thousands of dollars.
  • Please properly extinguish all cigarettes before disposal.
  • Littering laws will be fully enforced.

Additional restrictions, from the Utah State Fire Marshal web site:

Class C Prohibited 4-15-15

Sky Lanterns

  • Sky lanterns are subject to all applicable International Fire Code (IFC) standards as well as any State IFC Amendments
  • Sky lanterns are subject to all applicable Salt Lake City (SLC) city ordinances, including littering

International Fire Code 308.1.6.3: Sky Lanterns

  • A person shall not release or cause to be released an untethered sky lantern

Utah IFC Amendments that relate to sky lanterns

  • Utah amendment to IFC 308.1.2:

Throwing or Placing Sources of Ignition, is deleted and rewritten as follows: “No person shall throw or place, or cause to be thrown or placed, a lighted match, cigar, cigarette, matches, lighters, or other flaming or glowing substance or object on any surface or article where it can cause an unwanted fire.”

  • Utah amendment to IFC 310.8:

Hazardous and Environmental Conditions, is deleted and rewritten as follows: “When the fire code official determines that hazardous environmental conditions necessitate controlled use of any ignition source, including fireworks, lighters, matches, sky lanterns, and smoking materials, any of the following may occur:

  1. If the hazardous environmental conditions exist in a municipality, the legislative body of the municipality may prohibit the ignition or use of an ignition source in mountainous, brush-covered, or forest-covered areas or the wildland urban interface area, which means the line, area, or zone where structures or other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or land being used for an agricultural purpose.
  2. Except as provided in paragraph 3, if the hazardous environmental conditions exist in an unincorporated area, the state forester may prohibit the ignition or use of an ignition source in all or part of the areas described in paragraph 1 that are within the unincorporated area, after consulting with the county fire code official who has jurisdiction over that area. .
  3. If the hazardous environmental conditions exist in a township created under Section 17-27a-306 that is in a county of the first class, the county legislative body may prohibit the ignition or use of an ignition source in all or part of the areas described in paragraph 1 that are within the township.”

https://site.utah.gov/dps-fire/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2015/01/Sky-Lanterns-Utah-Code-15A-5-202.5.pdf

Salt Lake City Ordinance (Littering)

  • Definition:
    • Litter: Any quantity of uncontainerized paper, metal, plastic, glass or miscellaneous solid waste which may be classed as trash, debris, rubbish, refuse, garbage or junk.
  • 08.130: LITTERING:

No person shall throw or deposit any bottles, tin or tin cans, broken glass, nails, tacks, crockery, wire, paper, clothes, scrap or sheet iron, boxes, boards, lumber or stone, or any rubbish or garbage. (Ord. 49-15, 2015)

  • 12.020: KEEPING PROPERTY CLEAN; PERSONS RESPONSIBLE:
  1. It shall be the duty of the owner, agent, occupant or lessee to keep exterior private property free of litter. This requirement applies not only to removal of loose litter, but to materials that already are, or become, trapped at such locations as fence and wall bases, grassy and planted areas, borders, embankments and other lodging points.
  2. Owners, agents, occupants or lessees whose properties face on Municipal sidewalks and strips between streets and sidewalks shall be responsible for keeping those sidewalks and strips free of litter.
  3. It is unlawful to sweep or push litter from sidewalks and steps into streets. Sidewalk and step sweepings must be picked up and put into household or commercial solid waste containers.
  4. Litter not removed from private property under the provisions of this chapter may be removed by the City pursuant to the provisions of chapter 9.16, or its successor chapter, with costs and expenses for such cleaning or removal to be assessed in accordance with the provisions of chapter 9.16 of this title. (Prior Code § 18-32-9)
  • 12.060: LITTER FROM PEDESTRIANS AND MOTORISTS:
  1. It is unlawful for any person to throw, discard, place or deposit litter in any manner or amount on any public or private property within the corporate limits of the city, except in containers or areas lawfully provided therefor.

Additional Resources:

https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title15A/Chapter5/15A-5-S202.5.html

https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/saltlakecityut/latest/saltlakecity_ut/0-0-0-40605