City, County Officials Briefed On New Iowa Fireworks Law

For the first time in nearly 80 years, consumer-grade fireworks will be sold in Iowa this summer, thanks to a bill passed by both houses of the Iowa Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Terry Branstad.

The new law allows both the sale and use of fireworks, but local governmental jurisdictions do have the option of forbidding or restricting usage.

District 23 State Rep. David Sieck of Glenwood said he voted in favor of the legislation, noting he’s heard from many constituents in southwest Iowa who are in favor of the legalization of fireworks in Iowa.

“Most of the people around here asked me if we were ever going to pass the doggone bill,” Sieck said. “Safety is a concern, especially for people who have never had fireworks.”

Under Iowa’s new law, consumer fireworks may be sold in permanent buildings between June 1 - July 8, and again during the holidays from Dec. 10 - Jan. 3. Fireworks may be sold from temporary tents and stands from June 13 - July 8.

Local elected officials in Mills County and communities throughout the state are educating themselves about the new law.

Lonnie Mayberry, a member of the Mills County Board of Supervisors, said he and fellow board members Richard Crouch and Carol Vinton have been briefed on the legislation, but there’s been no discussion about restricting usage in the county. Mayberry noted the law doesn’t change the requirement for commercial-grade fireworks displays to be approved by the board of supervisors.

Glenwood City Council members have also been briefed about the law. City clerk Angie Winquist said it’s unlikely the city will prohibit fireworks usage, but may establish its own guidelines for when fireworks can legally be ignited within the city limits.

One of the concerns being expressed is that the law allows fireworks to be sold and used for four days after the Fourth of July. Sieck said the new legislation originated in the Senate and he isn’t sure what went into the setting the dates for sales and usage.

Fire-fighting agencies and emergency medical responders have voiced concerns about the potential for an increase in firework-related injuries.

Both Sieck and Winquist said they are aware of potential vendors interested in selling fireworks in the Glenwood area from temporary locations. The local vendors will likely be a mix of not-for-profit organizations and commercial fireworks sellers.

A wide range of fireworks will now be legal in Iowa, including bottle rockets, sky rockets, aerial shells, firecrackers, Roman candles, cone fountains, ground spinners, sparklers, toy smoke devices and chasers.

Iowa has prohibited the use of certain fireworks in the state since 1938, a ban sparked by a 1931 fire in Spencer. The fire allegedly occurred when someone holding a sparkler dropped it into a pile of fireworks, which exploded and caused a major fire.

The sale of fireworks in Iowa is expected to generate an estimated $1.5 million in sales tax revenue for the 2018 fiscal year, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.