There are limits to fireworks use in Youngstown over July 4th. Here’s what the law says

Fireworks are legal to buy and light in Ohio for the first time in decades, but “legal statewide” doesn’t mean “legal on your street.”

Several Mahoning Valley communities have layered on their own rules, and the gap is where people get fined.

What’s legal in Ohio

Ohio’s fireworks law changed in 2022 and the rules carry into 2026 unchanged.

• Under House Bill 172 and Ohio Revised Code § 3743.45, adults 18 and older can buy and discharge 1.4G consumer fireworks
• Discharge is limited to specific dates: July 3, 4 and 5, plus the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday before and after the Fourth, along with Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day weekend, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
• Standard hours are 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.; New Year’s Eve runs until 1 a.m.
• Fireworks may only be discharged on your own property or someone else’s with permission and never on public land.

Youngstown follows states rules

Youngstown’s codified ordinances reference the Ohio Fire Code and state fireworks statute directly rather than adding city-specific restrictions, unlike several neighboring communities.

Neighboring communities have their own limits

Several Mahoning Valley communities layered stricter rules on top of the state law

• Austintown Township: adopted state law but narrowed hours to 4-10 p.m.
• Niles: consumer fireworks only 4-11 p.m. on July 3, 4 and 5.
• Warren: follows state law; public displays require a permit filed with the fire chief 30 days out.
• Columbiana: bans discharge on all municipally owned property, including parks and cemeteries.

Areas you may never use fireworks

State law prohibits discharge:

• Indoors or on public property, streets or private school grounds without permission
• Aerial devices within 150 feet of spectators or structures; non-aerial devices within 50 feet
• While under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• During drought conditions or an active red flag warning

Anyone under 18 can’t handle fireworks and can’t be within 150 feet of an aerial discharge point.

Stay safe

The Ohio State Fire Marshal recommends:

• Keep water or a fire extinguisher nearby at all times
• Never relight a dud. Soak it in water instead
• Light only one sparkler at a time, held away from the body
• Sparklers should only be used by kids 12 and older, and only with adult supervision