Sacramento proposes increasing illegal firework fines to $10,000
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- Sacramento may raise firework fines to $10,000 to reduce illegal usage.
- City proposes tiered penalties, from $1,000 to $10,000 based on violation.
- Plan responds to 45% rise in emergency calls during July 4, 2024 holiday.
Sacramento is poised to increase fines — up to $10,000 — to curb illegal fireworks use.
The effort, spearheaded by Council members Lisa Kaplan and Rick Jennings, will be voted on at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Under their proposed changes, penalties would range from $1,000 to $10,000, depending on the violation number and location. The possession and usage of fireworks would also be limited from June 28 to 10 p.m. on July 4.
The stiffer penalties are intended to combat an increase in firework-related emergencies and align the city’s policies with the county. Last year, a spokesperson for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said its communication center received 1,465 emergency calls during July 4 — a 45% increase from 2023.
The city issued 55 citations during the holiday week, totaling $100,000 in fines, according to a city staff report.
“This is a time-honored tradition that many of us have fond memories of, yet, unfortunately for others, those memories are not as positive,” said Jennings on May 20 at the city’s Law and Legislation Committee meeting.
Only “Safe and Sane” fireworks — those less likely to cause injury and do not explode or fly — are available for use in Sacramento County. The usage of these fireworks are limited to June 28 through 12:01 a.m. July 5.
Tuesday’s decision requires a two-thirds approval of the City Council, meaning six of the nine council members must vote for its passage. The measure is expected to pass.
The changes would create a tiered violation system. The first violation would be $1,000. A second violation within the same year would result in a $2,500 fine, and following violations in that year would cost $5,000.
A $10,000 fine would only be given if a violation is next to parks, schools or critical infrastructure. At last month’s Law and Legislation Committee meeting, Fire Marshal Jason Lee said these citations are rare given the difficulty of identifying one person.
“If we have their information then we can issue a citation, but we have to identify those folks,” Lee said.
Earlier this month, Yolo County increased its penalty for the first violation of the county’s fireworks ordinance from $100 to $1,000.
