Can I buy and set off firecrackers and fireworks?
Depends on the category and your age. Display fireworks are graded F1 to F4. Individuals may buy F1 from age 12 (fountains, sparklers), F2 from 16 and F3 from 18; F4 and professional-grade items are reserved for certificate holders. Selling to minors below the required age is banned. Above all, prefectures and town halls frequently ban, by order, the sale, transport and use of firecrackers and fireworks at certain times — notably around 14 July and New Year.
📋 The rules
- Categories: F1 (12), F2 (16), F3 (18) for individuals
- F4 and professional fireworks: certificate required
- Sale banned below the required age
- Prefecture/town hall can ban sale and use by order
- Frequent bans around 14 July and 31 December
🔓 Exceptions
- Towns may allow supervised displays at official events
- Setting off large fireworks (F4) needs a qualification certificate
- Use banned on the public way, near homes, people or flammable materials
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Using firecrackers or fireworks against an order (prefectural or municipal) is an offence reaching several hundred euros. Selling to a minor or holding an unauthorised category brings heavier fines, even prosecution. Using firecrackers as projectiles can be treated as violence and punished severely.
📎 Official sources
- Service-Public.fr · Buying and using firecrackers and fireworks →
- Ministry of the Interior · Display fireworks →
- Légifrance · Internal Security Code (fireworks) →
❓ Frequently asked
From what age can you buy firecrackers?
It depends on the category: F1 from 12, F2 from 16, F3 from 18. F4 and professional fireworks are reserved for certificate holders. Selling below the required age is banned.
Can you set off firecrackers on 14 July?
Not necessarily. Many prefectures and town halls ban, by order, the sale, transport and use of firecrackers and fireworks around 14 July and New Year. Always check the order in force in your town.
Where can fireworks be used?
On open ground, away from homes, people and flammable materials, and outside any ban period. Use on the public way is generally forbidden. Follow the product's safety instructions.
What's the penalty for breaking the rules?
Setting off firecrackers despite a ban is an offence reaching several hundred euros. Using a firecracker as a projectile can be treated as violence and punished far more severely.
Do big fireworks need training?
Yes. F4 fireworks and pyrotechnic shows need a qualification certificate. Individuals can neither buy nor set off these products without it.
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