Arkansas Fireworks Laws (2026): Dates, Sparklers, Penalties

Arkansas allows "Class C common fireworks" to be sold and used from June 13 through July 10 and December 10 through January 5 each year, or year-round at a permanent retail location, under Ark. Code Ann. § 20-22-711. Sparklers and several other novelty items are exempt from that season entirely and may be sold and used at any time of year under § 20-22-711(b). The June 13 start date is a 2025 change; many secondary sources still list the old June 20 date. As of September 2026, this reflects the statute as amended.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Arkansas's state fireworks law under Ark. Code Ann. Title 20, Subtitle 2, Chapter 22, Subchapter 7, including the seasonal sale window, the sparkler exemption, the ignition-location rule, the age rule, and the federal rules that apply on top of state law. It does not name every Arkansas municipality's individual ordinance; those must be checked locally.

What's Legal and What's Banned

Federal law sets the safety and classification floor: to be sold to the public, a firework has to meet U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission construction standards for "consumer fireworks," DOT Class 1.4G (16 CFR Part 1507). Arkansas's own category, "I.C.C./D.O.T. Class C common fireworks" as defined in § 20-22-708, is functionally that same 1.4G consumer class, and it is broadly legal to sell at retail and use within the state. Items other than Class C common fireworks, or the separately licensed "special fireworks" used for agricultural or display purposes, are seizable as contraband under § 20-22-714.

When You Can Buy and Use Fireworks

Arkansas ties retail sale and use to a defined seasonal window, with exceptions for permanent stores and for a specific list of novelty items. The current statute reads:

"Except as provided in subdivision (a)(2) of this section, permissible items of fireworks, defined in § 20-22-708, may be sold at retail to residents of the State of Arkansas and used within the State of Arkansas from June 13 through July 10 and December 10 through January 5 of each year only. (2) Permissible items of fireworks as defined in § 20-22-708 may be sold at retail all-year if sold in a permanent physical location."

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-22-711(a), as amended by Acts 2025, No. 108, § 1

That means two different rules apply depending on where a retailer sells from: a seasonal-only, temporary-stand seller is limited to the June 13-July 10 and December 10-January 5 windows, while a seller operating out of a permanent physical location may sell Class C common fireworks year-round. The same June 13-July 10 and December 10-January 5 dates also govern lawful use of those fireworks within the state. The June 13 start date is a real, dated statutory change; the statute previously started the summer window on June 20, and some older sources still repeat that date.

Subsection (b) of the same section then excludes an entire product class from the season altogether:

"As used in this section, 'fireworks' shall not include toy pistols, toy canes, toy guns, or other devices in which paper caps containing twenty-five-hundredths grains (0.25 gr.) or less of explosive compounds are used, provided they are so constructed that the hand cannot come in contact with the cap when in place for exploding, and toy paper pistol caps which contain less than twenty-five-hundredths grains (0.25 gr.) of explosive compounds, cone, bottle, tube, or other type serpentine pop-off novelties, nonpoisonous toy snake, smoke sticks without report, and sparklers, the sale and use of which shall be permitted at all times."

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-22-711(b)

In plain terms, sparklers and the other listed novelty items are not "fireworks" for purposes of the season rule at all. They can be sold and used in Arkansas any day of the year, not just during the two seasonal windows described above.

Where You Can Set Off Fireworks

Arkansas also restricts where permissible fireworks may be ignited, separately from when. Under § 20-22-713, it is unlawful to explode or ignite fireworks within 600 feet of any church, hospital, asylum, or public school, or within 200 feet of anywhere fireworks are stored, sold, or offered for sale. The same section bars igniting or discharging permissible fireworks from, or throwing them from, a motor vehicle, and bars placing or throwing an ignited firework into or at a vehicle or at a person or group of people. Each of these is a misdemeanor under § 20-22-705.

Age

It is unlawful to offer for retail sale or to sell fireworks to a child under 12 years of age, or to any person known to be intoxicated or irresponsible:

"[It] shall be unlawful to offer for retail sale or to sell any fireworks to children under twelve (12) years of age or to any person known to be intoxicated or irresponsible."

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-22-712

Local Rules

Arkansas's fireworks subchapter expressly leaves room for stricter local rules. It does not affect the power of any municipality to regulate or prohibit the sale or use of fireworks within its own limits:

"This subchapter shall not affect the power of any municipality to regulate or prohibit the sale or use of fireworks."

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-22-704

That means a city can ban fireworks sale or use outright, or add its own rules on top of the state's seasonal window, even where state law would otherwise permit Class C common fireworks. The section names municipalities specifically; it does not on its face preserve the same power for counties, so a rule adopted by a county government rests on different legal footing and should be checked separately.

Crossing State Lines

Fireworks legal to buy in Arkansas do not stay legal once they leave the state. Federal law makes it a crime to transport fireworks, other than in the course of continuous interstate transportation through a state, into a state where their possession, sale, or use is prohibited, knowing they will be delivered, possessed, sold, or otherwise used in violation of that state's law, or to deliver fireworks for that transportation with that knowledge (18 U.S.C. § 836). The law carves out common and contract carriers and water carriers moving fireworks in the regular course of interstate business, along with federal agencies transporting fireworks for governmental purposes. A violation is punishable by a fine and/or up to one year in prison.

The U.S. Postal Service separately bans mailing fireworks. Publication 52 § 341.22 states that "all types of fireworks are prohibited from mailing," and names firecrackers and roman candles among the enumerated devices treated as fireworks for that rule.

Penalties

Two penalty provisions sit inside the same subchapter this page is built on. The general penalty applies to most violations:

"Any person violating any of the provisions of this subchapter, except § 20-22-706, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than two hundred dollars ($200) or imprisoned for not more than ninety (90) days, or both, in the discretion of the court."

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-22-705

A separate, steeper penalty applies specifically to operating without a required license or permit:

"...a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) and may be prohibited from applying for a license or a permit for up to five (5) years."

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-22-706(b)

In short: most violations of the fireworks subchapter, such as selling or using fireworks outside the permitted season or to an underage buyer, are misdemeanors carrying a $50-$200 fine and/or up to 90 days in jail. Selling or operating without the license or permit the state requires carries a heavier $100-$5,000 fine and can bar the violator from getting a license or permit for up to five years.

For how Arkansas's rule compares with the rest of the country, see fireworks laws by state. Arkansas also has its own Arkansas open container law covering a different vehicle-related rule.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about fireworks laws in the United States as of September 2026. It is not legal advice. Fireworks statutes, local ordinances, sale/use windows, and penalties change frequently and are often further restricted by municipal ordinance beyond what state law requires; verify the current rule for your specific city before buying, selling, or using fireworks, and consult a lawyer licensed in your state for advice about a specific situation.

Statutes cited reflect their in-force version as of 2026-09-17. Last updated: 2026-09-17.

Frequently Asked Questions

When can you buy fireworks in Arkansas?

The statewide seasonal window is June 13 through July 10 and December 10 through January 5, under Ark. Code Ann. § 20-22-711 as amended in 2025. Fireworks sold from a permanent physical retail location can be sold year-round under a separate exception in the same section, and sparklers and certain novelty items are exempt from the season altogether.

Are sparklers legal year-round in Arkansas?

Yes. Ark. Code Ann. § 20-22-711(b) excludes sparklers, toy pistol caps, cone/bottle/tube pop-off novelties, nonpoisonous toy snakes, and no-report smoke sticks from the statutory definition of fireworks the season applies to, so they can be sold and used at any time of year.

Why do some sources say Arkansas fireworks season starts June 20?

That was the correct start date before 2025. Acts 2025, No. 108, § 1 amended § 20-22-711 to move the summer window's start date to June 13, so any source still citing June 20 is out of date.

What is the minimum age to buy fireworks in Arkansas?

12. Arkansas bars selling fireworks to a child under 12, or to a person known to be intoxicated or irresponsible, under Ark. Code Ann. § 20-22-712.

Where are you not allowed to set off fireworks in Arkansas?

Arkansas law bars igniting or exploding fireworks within 600 feet of a church, hospital, asylum, or public school, or within 200 feet of anywhere fireworks are stored or sold, and bars discharging them from or at a motor vehicle, under Ark. Code Ann. § 20-22-713.

What is the penalty for violating Arkansas's fireworks law?

Most violations, such as selling or using fireworks outside the legal season or to an underage buyer, are misdemeanors carrying a fine of $50 to $200 and/or up to 90 days in jail under § 20-22-705. Selling or operating without a required license or permit carries a separate $100-$5,000 fine and up to a five-year bar on applying for a license under § 20-22-706(b).

Can a city in Arkansas ban fireworks even though state law allows them?

Yes. Ark. Code Ann. § 20-22-704 expressly preserves every municipality's power to regulate or prohibit the sale or use of fireworks within its own limits.