Vancouver fireworks rules
Are fireworks allowed in Vancouver?
Short answer
Personal fireworks are prohibited in Vancouver. Vancouver Fire Rescue Services reiterated the prohibition in its October 2026 guidance.
Key facts
| Setting off fireworks | Personal fireworks are prohibited in Vancouver.Keep the scares fun: VFRS shares Halloween safety tips, Leave fireworks out of your Halloween plans · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09Official wording* Fireworks remain prohibited in Vancouver as they pose risks to public safety and property; fines can reach $1,000. |
|---|---|
| Selling fireworks | Sales require a Fire Chief’s permit. Fireworks cannot be supplied to a person under 19. The City prohibits personal consumer fireworks.Fire By-law, Articles 5.7.1.1 and 5.7.1.3; Keep the scares fun: VFRS shares Halloween safety tips, Leave fireworks out of your Halloween plans · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09Official wordingSection 5.7 Additional Requirements for Fireworks and Explosives 5.7.1. Fireworks 5.7.1.1. Fireworks Permits 1) No person shall purchase, sell, offer for sale, transport, store, possess or discharge fireworks without first obtaining a permit from the Fire Chief. 1) No person shall purchase, sell, offer for sale, supply, possess or discharge any firework that is prohibited by the Explosives Regulations under the Explosives Act (Canada). 2) [Deleted] 3) No person shall sell, offer for sale, give or supply fireworks to a person under the age of 19 years. * Fireworks remain prohibited in Vancouver as they pose risks to public safety and property; fines can reach $1,000. |
| What counts as fireworks | Consumer fireworks are federal type F.1, excluding sparklers, Christmas crackers and toy-gun caps from that definition. Display fireworks are federal type F.2.Fire By-law, Definitions of consumer and display fireworks · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09Official wordingConsumer fireworks mean fireworks that have been classified as Type F.1 in accordance with the Explosives Regulations under the Explosives Act (Canada), but does not include sparklers, Christmas crackers or caps for toy guns. Designer means the person responsible for the design. Display fireworks mean fireworks that have been classified as Type F.2 in accordance with the Explosives Regulations under the Explosives Act (Canada). |
| Permit | The Fire Chief issues fireworks permits and can set storage, time and location conditions. Residents cannot obtain permission to set off ordinary consumer fireworks for a personal celebration.Fire By-law, Articles 5.7.1.1–5.7.1.2; Keep the scares fun: VFRS shares Halloween safety tips, Leave fireworks out of your Halloween plans · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09Official wording5.7.1.1. Fireworks Permits 1) No person shall purchase, sell, offer for sale, transport, store, possess or discharge fireworks without first obtaining a permit from the Fire Chief. 5.7.1.2. Conditions on Permits18 1) The Fire Chief may add conditions to a fireworks permit, including but not limited to, conditions regarding a) the location and methods of storage of fireworks, b) the time and location of the discharge of fireworks, and c) the maximum distance or volumetric space within which a pyrotechnical special effect may be discharged. * Fireworks remain prohibited in Vancouver as they pose risks to public safety and property; fines can reach $1,000. |
| Fine | Not confirmed. Checked Keep the scares fun: VFRS shares Halloween safety tips, Fire By-law; not found there. |
| Bylaw | Vancouver Fire By-law No. 14419.Fire By-law, Cover and Part 5, section 5.7.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09Official wordingCITY OF VANCOUVER BRITISH COLUMBIA FIRE BY-LAW NO. 14419 This By-law is printed under and by authority of the Council of the City of Vancouver July 22, 20251 BY-LAW NO. 14419 A By-law to regulate standards for fire safety in buildings and Section 5.7 Additional Requirements for Fireworks and Explosives 5.7.1. Fireworks 5.7.1.1. Fireworks Permits 1) No person shall purchase, sell, offer for sale, transport, store, possess or discharge fireworks without first obtaining a permit from the Fire Chief. |
How it works
For a house party or neighbourhood celebration in Vancouver, plan an activity that does not involve setting off consumer fireworks. The local guidance applies to the person using them, even if they were purchased somewhere else. The Fire Chief issues fireworks permits and can set storage, time and location conditions. Residents cannot obtain permission to set off ordinary consumer fireworks for a personal celebration.
Steps
- Check the local guidance in Keep the scares fun: VFRS shares Halloween safety tips. Check the published fire-safety guidance before making arrangements for an event. If a professional display is proposed, describe the organizer, operator and location to the fire department.
- For an advertised public display, use the event information to verify who is putting it on. A spectator attending a display and a resident wishing to set off fireworks are in different situations.
Good to know
- Sales require a Fire Chief’s permit. Fireworks cannot be supplied to a person under 19. The City prohibits personal consumer fireworks.
- Consumer fireworks are federal type F.1, excluding sparklers, Christmas crackers and toy-gun caps from that definition. Display fireworks are federal type F.2.
- Keep purchases and event planning separate until you know what the local rules allow. Ask the fire department directly about a proposed professional display.
- Read the applicable provisions in Fire By-law (PDF).
The same question in other places
Richmond · Burnaby · North Vancouver · District of North Vancouver · New Westminster · Delta
Sources
- Keep the scares fun: VFRS shares Halloween safety tips (read 2026-11-09)
- Fire By-law (PDF) (read 2026-11-09)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. How answers are checked.