Fireworks — what's legal where
Godfrey listed the Fairs and Observable Days. This is ours — check what you mean to light, and the states that forbid it go dark.
Check one or more types; a state greys out if it does not allow every checked type. Schematic tile map (not to geographic scale).
Buying, selling & licenses — the ladder
- Buy (consumer, 1.4G): set by state and local law — age limits, allowed types, and dates. Check your county too.
- Sell (seasonal retail): most states require a State Fire Marshal permit/license for a stand or tent, often issued for the sales window only, plus local zoning/fire sign-off and liability insurance.
- Shoot professionally (display, 1.3G): a state pyrotechnician / display-operator license, a federal ATF Explosives License/Permit to possess & transport display product, DOT hazmat for transport, local display permits, and insurance.
- Manufacture / import: ATF license + CPSC (consumer) and APA Standard 87-1 / NFPA 1123 & 1126 (display) standards.
This is the map of the terrain, not legal advice — confirm each rung with your State Fire Marshal, the ATF, and your county before you buy, sell, or shoot.
Seasons & taxes
The two big windows are Independence Day and New Year's; many states add others (Texas: late Dec + around July 4; and cultural dates like Diwali or Cinco de Mayo locally). Several states levy a specific fireworks tax or "safety fee" on top of sales tax (e.g., West Virginia's fireworks safety fee) — plus normal sales-tax collection if you sell. Verify your state's rate and the exact legal sale dates before stocking.
Party tricks for celebrations (the chemistry)
- Colored fire — metal-salt flame colors (the same colorants pros use): strontium → red, copper → blue-green, boron/borax → green, sodium (table salt) → gold-yellow, potassium → violet, lithium → magenta, calcium → orange. A sprinkle on a campfire or in an alcohol burner throws the color.
- Glowsticks, any color — the light is chemiluminescence (an oxalate ester + hydrogen peroxide); the fluorescent dye is what sets the color. Change the dye, change the color — the reaction is the same.
Deeper how-to & safety from the real community: Pyrotechnics Guild International (pgi.org), the APA (americanpyro.com), Skylighter, and the Journal of Pyrotechnics.
💰 Make money this season
The point of the whole section — these windows are earning windows:
- Run a seasonal stand/tent — get the State Fire Marshal seller permit, buy wholesale, sell in the legal window. Lowest-capital real business here.
- Get licensed and shoot shows — a state pyrotechnician license + on an ATF-licensed crew; display gigs pay well and cluster around the seasons.
- Sell novelties & glowsticks at events — sparklers, glow, party goods: low barrier, high foot-traffic on the holidays.
- Be the compliance liaison — help others get their permits, forms, and insurance lined up (a service, not a product).
Each of these gets a step-by-step "how to start it" guide — permit forms, wholesalers, the numbers — as this section grows.