UK Firework Law

Main Points

	No fireworks after 11.00pm (exceptions Bonfire Night, Diwali, New Year, Chinese New Year)
	Bangers, jumping jacks, mini-rockets, aerial shells proscribed.
	Max 120dB on Cat.3
	Min age 18 to buy or carry in public.
	Fireworks in the street an offence
	Cat.1 - indoor novelties
	Cat.2 - garden fireworks, 10m recommended viewing
	Cat.3 - display fireworks, 25m recommended viewing
	Cat.4 - 'professional'

Some guidelines on the UK firework law.

The 2003 Act

Main Points of the Act and the resulting regulations:

Set a curfew on the use of fireworks, banning them between the hours of 11.00pm and 7.00am except except on Bonfire Night (midnight), Diwali, New Year, and Chinese New Year (1.00am)
Banned shop sales of fireworks louder than 120 decibels.
Created an offence for under-18s to have them in a public place.
Made all year-round shop sales licenceable.
Limited the sale period for other retail outlets.
The Act is also an enabling act which set out a framework for more detailed regulations to appear in the future.

Text at Office of Public Sector Information Fireworks Act 2003

Established the requirements for BS7114 - the Categories 1-4 classification and the safety, testing and labelling of fireworks.
Banned aerial shells,maroons and variations of these, bangers, mini-rockets and fireworks of erratic flight.

Please take care with fireworks, please follow the Fireworks Safety Guide on this page.