2013 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 29 - Public Safety and State Police
Chapter 541 - Building, Fire and Demolition Codes. Fire Marshals and Fire Hazards. Safety of Public and Other Structures
Section 29-357 - (Formerly Sec. 29-97). Sale, use and possession of fireworks prohibited. Sale, use and possession of certain sparklers or fountains permitted. Permits for display. Variations or exemptions. Penalty.

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, no person, firm or corporation shall offer for sale, expose for sale, sell at retail or use or explode or possess with intent to sell, use or explode any fireworks. A person who is sixteen years of age or older may offer for sale, expose for sale, sell at retail, purchase, use or possess with intent to sell or use sparklers or fountains of not more than one hundred grams of pyrotechnic mixture per item, which are nonexplosive and nonaerial, provided (1) such sparklers and fountains do not contain magnesium, except for magnalium or magnesium-aluminum alloy, (2) such sparklers and fountains containing any chlorate or perchlorate salts do not exceed five grams of composition per item, and (3) when more than one fountain is mounted on a common base, the total pyrotechnic composition does not exceed two hundred grams.

(b) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall adopt reasonable regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, for the granting of permits for supervised displays of fireworks or for the indoor use of pyrotechnics, sparklers and fountains for special effects by municipalities, fair associations, amusement parks, other organizations or groups of individuals or artisans in pursuit of their trade. Such permit may be issued upon application to said commissioner and after (1) inspection of the site of such display or use by the local fire marshal to determine compliance with the requirements of such regulations, and (2) approval of the chiefs of the police and fire departments, or, if there is no police or fire department, of the first selectman, of the municipality wherein the display is to be held as is provided in this section. No such display shall be handled or fired by any person until such person has been granted a certificate of competency by the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in respect to which a fee of two hundred dollars shall be payable to the State Treasurer when issued and which may be renewed every three years upon payment of a fee of one hundred ninety dollars payable to the State Treasurer, provided such certificate may be suspended or revoked by said commissioner at any time for cause. Such certificate of competency shall attest to the fact that such operator is competent to fire a display. Such display shall be of such a character and so located, discharged or fired as in the opinion of the chiefs of the police and fire departments or such selectman, after proper inspection, will not be hazardous to property or endanger any person or persons. In an aerial bomb, no salute, report or maroon may be used that is composed of a formula of chlorate of potash, sulphur, black needle antimony and dark aluminum. Formulas that may be used in a salute, report or maroon are as follows: (A) Perchlorate of potash, black needle antimony and dark aluminum, and (B) perchlorate of potash, dark aluminum and sulphur. No high explosive such as dynamite, fulminate of mercury or other stimulator for detonating shall be used in any aerial bomb or other pyrotechnics. Application for permits shall be made in writing at least fifteen days prior to the date of display, on such notice as the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection by regulation prescribes, on forms furnished by the commissioner, and a fee of one hundred dollars shall be payable to the State Treasurer with each such application. After such permit has been granted, sales, possession, use and distribution of fireworks for such display shall be lawful for that purpose only. No permit granted hereunder shall be transferable. Any permit issued under the provisions of this section may be suspended or revoked by the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection or the local fire marshal for violation by the permittee of any provision of the general statutes, any regulation or any ordinance relating to fireworks.

(c) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection may grant variations or exemptions from, or approve equivalent or alternate compliance with, particular provisions of any regulation issued under the provisions of subsection (b) of this section where strict compliance with such provisions would entail practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship or is otherwise adjudged unwarranted, provided any such variation, exemption, approved equivalent or alternate compliance shall, in the opinion of the commissioner, secure the public safety and shall be made in writing.

(d) Any person, firm or corporation violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor, except that (1) any person, firm or corporation violating the provisions of subsection (a) of this section by offering for sale, exposing for sale or selling at retail or possessing with intent to sell any fireworks with a value exceeding ten thousand dollars shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor, and (2) any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of subsection (b) of this section or any regulation adopted thereunder shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor, except if death or injury results from any such violation, such person, firm or corporation shall be guilty of a class C felony.

(1953, 1955, S. 2007d; 1961, P.A. 193; 194; P.A. 76-30, S. 4, 6; P.A. 80-297, S. 13, 20; P.A. 82-344, S. 2, 3; P.A. 84-228, S. 1; P.A. 91-196, S. 3, 4; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 67, 117; P.A. 99-24, S. 1; P.A. 00-198, S. 2, 3; P.A. 03-231, S. 7; P.A. 06-177, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-1, S. 151; P.A. 09-177, S. 17; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 325; P.A. 10-54, S. 6; P.A. 12-80, S. 178, 179; P.A. 13-256, S. 6.)

History: 1961 acts added requirement for certificate of competency issued by state fire marshal in lieu of approval of person handling display by local authorities and prohibited use of salute, report or maroon composed of formula of chlorate of potash, sulphur, black needle antimony and dark aluminum in aerial bombs, specified formulas that could be used and prohibited use of high explosives in aerial bombs or pyrotechnics; P.A. 76-30 required that permit application be made at least 15 days before date of display; P.A. 80-297 imposed $25 fee for certificate of competency to be renewed every 3 years upon payment of $10 renewal fee and imposed $25 fee for display permit; P.A. 82-344 permitted state fire marshal to adopt regulations for the granting of permits for the indoor use of pyrotechnics for special effects and for artisans in pursuit of their trade; Sec. 29-97 transferred to Sec. 29-357 in 1983; P.A. 84-228 inserted Subsec. indicators, replaced “keep” with “possess”, and added Subsec. (c) incorporating penalties for violation of the section formerly set forth in Sec. 29-366 and making the penalty for the sale or possession with intent to sell of fireworks with a value exceeding $10,000 a class A misdemeanor; P.A. 91-196 added a new Subsec. (c), permitting state fire marshal to grant variations or exemptions from, or approve alternate compliance with, provisions of regulations issued under Subsec. (b), and relettered remaining Subsec. accordingly; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 amended Subsec. (b) to increase the fee for certificate of competency from $25 to $50, for renewal from $10 to $30 and for an application for permits from $25 to $35; P.A. 99-24 provided for inspection of the site by the local fire marshal, allowed suspension of certificate of competency by the State Fire Marshal and permitted revocation or suspension of the permit by the State Fire Marshal or local fire marshal; P.A. 00-198 amended Subsec. (a) by adding exception re sparklers, effective June 1, 2000; P.A. 03-231 amended Subsec. (b) to make a technical change and amended Subsec. (d) to designate existing exception as Subdiv. (1) and add new Subdiv. (2) to provide that any person, firm or corporation violating Subsec. (b) or any regulation adopted thereunder shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor, except if death or injury results from such violation, such person, firm or corporation shall be fined a maximum of $10,000 or imprisoned a maximum of 10 years, or both, effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 06-177 amended Subsec. (a) to delete reference to Sec. 29-356, add references to “fountains” and add new Subdivs. (1) to (3) re requirements for sparklers and fountains, and amended Subsec. (b) to add “sparklers and fountains” in provision re permits for displays, effective June 9, 2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-1 amended Subsec. (b) to increase fee for certificate of competency from $50 to $100, to increase renewal fee for such certificate from $30 to $150, and to increase fee for permit from $35 to $50, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 09-177 amended Subsec. (b) to delete former Subdiv. (3) re filing of a bond and make a technical change, effective January 1, 2011; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (b) to increase fees, effective January 1, 2011; P.A. 10-54 changed effective date of P.A. 09-177, S. 17, from January 1, 2011, to January 1, 2013, effective May 18, 2010; P.A. 12-80 amended Subsec. (d) to change penalty for violating provisions of section from a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment of not more than 90 days or both to a class C misdemeanor and changed penalty in Subdiv. (2) for violating provisions of Subsec. (b) or regulation adopted thereunder that results in death or injury from a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment of not more than 10 years or both to a class C felony; P.A. 13-256 replaced “State Fire Marshal” and “marshal” with “Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection” or “commissioner” and amended Subsec. (b) to specify renewal fee is payable to State Treasurer.