---
title: Highlands fireworks rules
question: "Are fireworks allowed in Highlands?"
place: Highlands, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/highlands
category: Bylaws, noise and complaints
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Highlands
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/fireworks/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/fireworks.json"
---

# Highlands fireworks rules

**Question:** Are fireworks allowed in Highlands?

**Short answer:** In Highlands, consumer fireworks may be set off only with a permit, and only on October 31 between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. The permit applicant must be 18 or older. Firecrackers are banned outright, and selling fireworks is not allowed.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Highlands, https://www.highlands.ca)  
**Cost:** Permit fees in the 2009 bylaw: $10 consumer, $75 display. Fines are $200 to $500.  
**How long:** Consumer fireworks: apply by noon on October 31 (or the last business day before). Display fireworks: apply 30 days ahead.  
**Where:**
- Phone: District of Highlands Municipal Hall, 250-474-1773

## Key facts

- **Setting off fireworks:** Only with a permit. Consumer fireworks may be discharged only on October 31 between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. (or in exceptional circumstances under municipal policy). The permit applicant must be 18 or older. No one under 18 may possess or use fireworks, and parents may not allow it.
  - Source: [Fireworks Regulation Bylaw No. 254, 2007 (consolidated to 2009), s. 3(4), (5), (8), (9); s. 4(1)](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1427)
  - Official wording: "No person may hold, possess, store, discharge, or otherwise use consumer fireworks" … "No person may discharge consumer fireworks except on October 31st of each year" … "between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m." … "No person under the age of eighteen (18) years may hold, possess, store, discharge," … "Any person eighteen (18) years of age or older before discharging consumer"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Selling fireworks:** Not allowed: no person may sell fireworks.
  - Source: [Fireworks Regulation Bylaw No. 254, 2007 (consolidated to 2009), s. 3(1)](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1427)
  - Official wording: "No person may sell fireworks."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **What counts as fireworks:** 'Fireworks' means consumer fireworks (such as fountains, Roman candles, pin wheels and volcanoes), display fireworks (such as rockets and shells) and pyrotechnic special effects fireworks. Consumer fireworks do not include Christmas crackers, sparklers and caps for toy guns. Firecrackers are banned outright.
  - Source: [Fireworks Regulation Bylaw No. 254, 2007 (consolidated to 2009), s. 2](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1427)
  - Official wording: "“Fireworks” means consumer fireworks, display fireworks, and pyrotechnic special effects" … "but does not include Christmas crackers, sparklers, and caps for toy guns;" … "No person may buy, sell, hold, possess, store, discharge, or otherwise use"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permit:** Anyone 18 or older must apply to the municipality for a permit. Consumer fireworks: apply by noon on October 31 (or the last business day before); the applicant needs a Certification Card and a Fireworks Safety Course within the past three years. Display fireworks: apply 30 days ahead. Fees: $10 consumer, $75 display.
  - Source: [Fireworks Regulation Bylaw No. 254, 2007 (consolidated to 2009), s. 4(1), 4(2)(a), Schedule F](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1427)
  - Official wording: "must be submitted to the municipality by no later than 12:00 p.m. on October 31st" … "the applicant has successfully completed the Fireworks Safety Course within the three year period" … "Fireworks Permit $10.00" … "Display Fireworks Permit $75.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** Selling fireworks: $500. Using or possessing without a permit, or unsafe discharge: $200. Discharging outside the permitted date and time: $200. Bylaw notices give $160 within 14 days and $240 after 28 days; municipal tickets the full amount. (Sources differ: CONFLICT: the fireworks bylaw's own Schedule F (2009) lists $100 for possessing firecrackers (and, by its table, for discharge outside the permitted period and other offences) and $200 for possessing fireworks without a permit. The 2025 ticket bylaws (No. 475 and 478) list $200 for firecrackers and for discharge outside the permitted period. The 2025 bylaws were used as current.)
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 475, 2025, Schedule A, Fireworks Regulation Bylaw No. 254](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1623)
  - Official wording: "Sale of fireworks 3.1 $500.00 $400.00 $600.00" … "Discharge outside permitted period 3.5 $200.00 $160.00 $240.00"
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 478, 2025, Schedule A, Appendix 9](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1635)
  - Official wording: "Sale of fireworks 3.1 $500.00" … "Discharge outside permitted period 3.5 $200.00"
  - Source: [Fireworks Regulation Bylaw No. 254, 2007 (consolidated to 2009), Schedule F](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1427)
  - Official wording: "Possess firecrackers 3.3 Firecrackers $100.00" … "Possess fireworks 3.4 Permit $200.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Fireworks Regulation Bylaw No. 254, 2007.
  - Source: [Fireworks Regulation Bylaw No. 254, 2007 (consolidated to 2009), s. 1](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1427)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as “Fireworks Regulation Bylaw” No. 254,"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [Fireworks Regulation Bylaw No. 254, 2007](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1427) allows consumer fireworks (such as fountains, Roman candles, pin wheels and volcanoes) only with a permit. They may be discharged only on October 31 between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., or in exceptional circumstances under municipal policy. No one under 18 may possess or use fireworks, and parents may not allow it. Christmas crackers, sparklers and caps for toy guns are outside the definition.

## Steps

1. Anyone 18 or older applies to the District for a permit.
2. For consumer fireworks, apply by noon on October 31 (or the last business day before). You need a Certification Card and a Fireworks Safety Course taken within the past three years.
3. For display fireworks, apply 30 days ahead. Pyrotechnic special effects permits go through the Fire Chief.

## Good to know

- Firecrackers and "prohibited fireworks" (cherry bombs, M-80s and similar) are banned outright. No person may sell fireworks.
- Fireworks are also banned in District parks.
- Fees in the 2009 consolidation of the bylaw: $10 consumer, $75 display.
- Fines: selling fireworks $500; using or possessing without a permit, unsafe discharge, or discharging outside the permitted date and time $200. Bylaw notices give $160 within 14 days and $240 after 28 days on the $200 amounts; municipal tickets show the full amount.

## Official forms and pages

- [Fireworks Regulation Bylaw No. 254, 2007 (consolidated) (PDF)](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1427)

## Related questions

- [Highlands backyard fire and burning rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/backyard-fire.md)
- [Highlands noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/noise-rules.md)
- [Highlands bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/bylaw-fines.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Fireworks rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fireworks.md)
- [Langford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/fireworks.md)
- [View Royal](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/fireworks.md)
- [Central Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/central-saanich/fireworks.md)
- [Colwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/fireworks.md)
- [Esquimalt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/fireworks.md)
- [Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/fireworks.md)

## Sources

- [Fireworks Regulation Bylaw No. 254, 2007 (consolidated to 2009) (PDF)](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1427) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 475, 2025 (PDF)](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1623) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 478, 2025 (PDF)](https://www.highlands.ca/media/1635) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Highlands. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/fireworks/_