Firework Safety, the Law & When You Can Use Fireworks

When you can use fireworks

England and Wales: you must not set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, except on these nights:

• Any normal night – until 11pm, all year round
• Bonfire Night, Thursday 5 November 2026 – until midnight
• Diwali, Sunday 8 November 2026 – until 1am the following morning
• New Year’s Eve, Thursday 31 December 2026 – until 1am on New Year’s Day
• Chinese New Year, Saturday 6 February 2027 – until 1am the following morning

Scotland: the rules are stricter. Adult fireworks (F2 and F3) may only be used in private places between 6pm and 11pm, so no daytime use. The same nights are extended: Bonfire Night until midnight; Hogmanay, Diwali and Chinese New Year until 1am. Councils can also create Firework Control Zones, where you cannot set off fireworks at all, even in your own garden. Always check with your council before you buy. Breaking the Scottish rules can mean a fine of up to £5,000, up to 6 months in prison, or both.

Northern Ireland: you need a licence from the Department of Justice to buy, possess or use most fireworks. We do not deliver fireworks to Northern Ireland.

Everywhere in the UK:

• It is illegal to set off or throw fireworks, including sparklers, in the street or any other public place. Use them only in your own garden or on private land with the owner’s permission.
• Your council may have extra local rules, so check before your event.
• Using or selling fireworks illegally can lead to an unlimited fine and up to 6 months in prison, or an on-the-spot fine of £90.

Age restrictions – legal notice

It is illegal to sell category F2 fireworks and F3 fireworks to anyone under the age of 18.

It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to possess category F2 fireworks or category F3 fireworks in a public place.

• Online: you must confirm you are 18 or over at checkout, and every delivery must be signed for by an adult.
• In our shops: we go further than the law. We only sell fireworks to customers aged 21 and over, and we may ask for photo ID.
• Category F1 items have their own age limits: for example 12 for Christmas crackers and 16 for party poppers.
• In Scotland it is also a specific offence to buy fireworks on behalf of anyone under 18.

Firework categories explained

Every firework sold in the UK has a category. It tells you what the firework is designed for and how far back your audience must stand. You’ll find the category and safety distance on every product page and on the firework itself.

• F1 – Very low hazard items such as sparklers, party poppers and indoor novelties. Safety distance: 1 metre.
• F2 – Garden fireworks for outdoor home use. Safety distance: 8 metres.
• F3 – Larger display fireworks for big gardens and open spaces. Safety distance: 25 metres.
• F4 – Professional fireworks for trained operators only. Safety distance: set by the professional.

You may also see 1.4G or 1.3G on our listings. This is the UN hazard classification, which controls how fireworks are transported and stored. It is separate from the category.

Is your garden big enough? If you can’t get everyone at least the safety distance away from the firework, choose a smaller category, or go to an organised display instead.

Noise ratings explained

Every product page shows a Noise Rating, so you can choose fireworks that suit your neighbours, your pets and your family.

• 1 – Low Noise – A dull break designed to be quiet, or a very low-noise effect in the air. Ground fireworks, such as fountains and plain-effect roman candles, can be much quieter still.
• 2 – Reduced Noise – Effects designed to create less noise, but which still make some moderate noise.
• 3 – Some Bangs – Often a multi-effect cake with some quiet effects and some noisier effects mixed in.
• 4 – Loud Bangs – Large, loud colourful bursts, or noise-only bursts without colour. Typically 25mm and 30mm calibre.
• 5 – Mega Loud – The main effect is noise, from a larger calibre, typically salutes or reports.

Looking for something gentler? Browse our Quiet Fireworks: all the colour, without the bangs.

Using fireworks safely at home

1. Buy from a licensed retailer and check every firework is UK-compliant and marked with its category.
2. Plan ahead: read every label in daylight and check where the fireworks will go up and land.
3. Keep fireworks in a closed box and use them one at a time.
4. Have a torch, a bucket of water, gloves and eye protection ready before you start.
5. Light fireworks at arm’s length using a portfire or the supplied lighter, then stand well back.
6. Never go back to a firework once it has been lit.
7. If a firework fails to go off, never try to relight it. Leave it for at least 30 minutes, then soak it in a bucket of water.
8. Never put fireworks in your pocket or throw them.
9. Postpone your display if it is windy, and never point fireworks towards people, buildings or trees.
10. Keep alcohol well away from anyone lighting fireworks.
11. Children must be supervised at all times. Never give sparklers to under-5s, and give older children gloves to wear.
12. Keep pets indoors (see below).

Pets and wildlife

Many people, and most animals, find sudden loud bangs frightening. We’re pet owners ourselves, and a few simple steps make a big difference:

• Tell your neighbours when you plan to set off fireworks, so they can bring their pets in.
• Choose quieter fireworks. Check the Noise Rating on each product, or browse our Quiet Fireworks range.
• Keep your own pets indoors with curtains closed, familiar background noise and a safe place to hide.
• Check bonfires for hedgehogs and other animals before lighting. Build the bonfire on the day, or move it before you light it.
• Clear up the morning after. Spent fireworks and sparklers can stay hot for a long time and can burn paws.

Read our full guide: Fireworks, Pets, Wildlife & Responsible Use.

The morning after: safe disposal

• Check your garden carefully in daylight and pick up all debris, including rocket sticks.
• Soak spent fireworks and used sparklers in a bucket of water overnight before putting them in your general waste.
• Never burn fireworks or their packaging, especially in a confined space such as a stove or boiler.
• If you find a firework that hasn’t gone off, soak it in water and do not try to use it.

Organising a bigger display

If you’re organising a display for a school, club, wedding or community event, more planning is needed. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) points organisers to two free guides, published by the Explosives Industry Group (EIG). They replaced the older HSE guides HSG123 and HSG124 in 2018:

• Giving Your Own Firework Display – the Red Guide: for displays you fire yourself (F1–F3 only).
• Working Together on Firework Displays – the Blue Guide: for displays fired by a professional operator.

The HSE’s own checklist is on its Organising firework displays page. In short:

Before the event

• Check the site in daylight for overhead power lines, trees, buildings and other obstructions.
• Make sure there is room for fireworks to land well away from spectators, and an area behind the firing site for debris.
• Check the wind direction, and decide what you’ll do if it changes.
• Plan for emergencies, including who will call the emergency services.
• Store fireworks safely in a closed container, away from any source of ignition. Ask us if you need advice.
• Category F4 fireworks may only be used by professional operators.
• If you are selling alcohol, keep the bar well away from the display.

On the day

• Recheck the site, the weather and the wind direction.
• Keep everyone out of the firing area, the safety zone around it and the area where debris will fall.
• Don’t allow spectators to bring their own fireworks.
• If you have a bonfire, check that no children or animals are inside it before lighting. Never use petrol or paraffin to light it.

The morning after

• Check and clear the site carefully, and dispose of fireworks safely.

If you’re organising a public event, check your public liability insurance with your insurer. All our firework packs come with our own A Guide to Safety leaflet. Prefer to leave it to the experts? Our professional display team can fire it for you.

Useful links

• GOV.UK – Fireworks: the law (England and Wales)
• Scottish Government – Fireworks: the law
• HSE – Organising firework displays
• RoSPA – Fireworks safety
• Fireworks, Pets, Wildlife & Responsible Use

This page is for guidance only. Always read and follow the instructions on each firework.