Illinois Fireworks Laws

Illinois is a very large state that has a lot of different demographics from one are to the next. Much of the state is very rural and relies on farming as its main source of jobs and revenues while other areas such as Chicago are densely populated urban hubs. In fact, Chicago is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the entire United States, and is by far the largest city in the upper Midwest. With so many residents and a truly rich history, the people of Illinois have more to celebrate than the citizens of most states.

In fact, our current president Barack Obama lived most of his adult life in the Chicago area. Abraham Lincoln was a resident of Illinois, as well as countless other politicians. And who could forget the role that Chicago and other areas of Illinois have played on our presidential elections? On more than one occasion, the fate of the White House has been determined by the vote count in a handful of Illinois precincts.

For these reasons and more, Illinois has more reason to celebrate our national holidays than pretty much anywhere else, and of course most people will choose to use fireworks as part of this celebration. Fortunately, small fireworks such as sparklers and noisemakers are completely legal in the state of Illinois, but legislation was passed to outlaw the use of sparklers in the city of Chicago. Though you can buy sparklers in Illinois quite easily, you are committing a crime if you use them within the city limits of Chicago and you could face a hefty fine or even jail time if you are caught breaking the rules.

Nevertheless, most people in Illinois still use sparklers and other small fireworks for their celebrations because most of the time the police just take away their sparklers and tell them to stop using them. With such a lax approach to regulating sparklers in Chicago, it’s hard to see a reason for people to stop using them unlawfully.