{"title":"Victoria fireworks rules","question":"Are fireworks allowed?","slug":"fireworks","place":{"path":"ca/bc/victoria","name":"Victoria","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"bylaws-and-complaints","name":"Bylaws, noise and complaints"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"City of Victoria","url":"https://www.victoria.ca"},"short_answer":"Only with a permit. Under Victoria's Fireworks Bylaw 07-070, nobody may fire fireworks without a permit from the Fire Chief, and the bylaw sets no dates or hours for residents. Possessing them also needs a permit, and only wholesalers may sell them. The fine is $400.","aliases":["halloween fireworks victoria","fireworks permit victoria","set off fireworks victoria","firecrackers victoria"],"cost":"Permit $100 per event (no fee for City-sponsored events or events by local not-for-profit community associations). Fine for possessing or firing without a permit: $400. Selling without a permit: $500 on a bylaw notice, $750 on a municipal ticket.","how_long":"Apply at least 14 days before the event.","where":[{"type":"online","label":"Fireworks Bylaw 07-070 (PDF)","value":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/fireworks-bylaw-07-070"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Fireworks Bylaw 07-070 (PDF)","url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/fireworks-bylaw-07-070"}],"related":[{"slug":"backyard-fire","title":"Victoria backyard fire and burning rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/backyard-fire/"},{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Victoria bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/bylaw-fines/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/oak-bay","name":"Oak Bay","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oak-bay/fireworks/"},{"place":"ca/bc/esquimalt","name":"Esquimalt","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/fireworks/"},{"place":"ca/bc/view-royal","name":"View Royal","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/fireworks/"},{"place":"ca/bc/saanich","name":"Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/fireworks/"},{"place":"ca/bc/colwood","name":"Colwood","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/fireworks/"},{"place":"ca/bc/langford","name":"Langford","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/fireworks/"}],"topic":{"title":"Fireworks rules in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fireworks/"},"facts":{"use":{"label":"Setting off fireworks","value":"Only with a permit. A person may fire or discharge fireworks only if authorized by a permit; the bylaw sets no dates or hours for residents. Possessing fireworks also needs a current permit unless the person is a wholesaler.","short":"Only with a permit","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/fireworks-bylaw-07-070","title":"Fireworks Bylaw 07-070 (consolidated to March 1, 2015) (PDF)","section":"ss. 8, 9","quotes":["A person may fire or discharge fireworks only if that is authorized by a permit.","A person who is not a wholesaler must not possess fireworks without a current permit."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"sale":{"label":"Selling fireworks","value":"Only wholesalers may offer for sale, sell, give or trade fireworks. A wholesaler is a permit holder in bulk sales under a City business licence; retail sale to the general public is excluded from that definition.","short":"Wholesalers only","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/fireworks-bylaw-07-070","title":"Fireworks Bylaw 07-070 (consolidated to March 1, 2015) (PDF)","section":"ss. 2, 7","quotes":["A person who is not a wholesaler must not offer for sale, sell, give, or trade fireworks.","does not include a person engaged in the retail sale of fireworks to the general public."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"what_counts":{"label":"What counts as fireworks","value":"\"Fireworks\" means Class 7 fireworks under the Explosives Regulation (Canada). It does not include sparklers, Christmas crackers, caps for toy guns, model rocket engines, or highway flares and small distress signals.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/fireworks-bylaw-07-070","title":"Fireworks Bylaw 07-070 (consolidated to March 1, 2015) (PDF)","section":"s. 2","quotes":["means the \"Class 7\" fireworks in the Explosives Regulation (Canada) or its successor regulation;","does not include sparklers, Christmas crackers, caps for toy guns, model"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"permit":{"label":"Permit","value":"The Fire Chief may grant or refuse a permit. Apply at least 14 days before the event with proof of a Fireworks Supervisor Certificate, $5 million liability insurance, and a site plan. Fee $100 per event; no fee for City-sponsored events or events by local not-for-profit community associations. Site re-inspection $100.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/fireworks-bylaw-07-070","title":"Fireworks Bylaw 07-070 (consolidated to March 1, 2015) (PDF)","section":"ss. 4, Schedule A","quotes":["be submitted to the Fire Chief at least 14 days before the date of the event for which the permit is required;","include proof of a valid Fireworks Supervisor Certificate;","Permit $100 per event","-events sponsored by the City no fee","Site re-inspection $100"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Bylaw notice (Bylaw 16-017): $400 for possessing or firing fireworks without a permit (ss. 8, 9), $300 within 14 days; $500 for selling without a permit (s. 7). Municipal ticket (Bylaw 10-071): $400 ($350 within 30 days); selling $750. Court penalty $200 to $10,000 (s. 12).","short":"Notice $400 ($300 if paid in 14 days); ticket $400","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/635","title":"Ticket Bylaw 10-071 (consolidated June 18, 2026) (PDF)","section":"Schedule R","quotes":["Possess fireworks 8 $400.00 $350.00","Fire/discharge 9 $400.00 $350.00","Offer for 7 $750.00 $750.00"]},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/2923","title":"Bylaw Notice Adjudication Bylaw 16-017, Schedule B (PDF)","section":"Schedule P","quotes":["8 Possess fireworks without permit $400.00 $100.00 $100.00","Offer for sale/sell/give/trade","Possess fireworks without permit $400.00 $100.00 $100.00"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"},"sources_differ":"Under Bylaw 16-017 Schedule P the sale offence (s. 7) is $500 (not $750), and the $400 offences are $100 off within 14 days. The bylaw also sets a $200 minimum and $10,000 maximum penalty on conviction (s. 12) and an incident service fee of $500 per hour per unit (minimum 3 hours) if misuse causes a fire department call."},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Fireworks Bylaw No. 07-070","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/fireworks-bylaw-07-070","title":"Fireworks Bylaw 07-070 (consolidated to March 1, 2015) (PDF)","section":"Title","quotes":["FIREWORKS BYLAW BYLAW NO. 07-070 This consolidation is a copy of a bylaw consolidated under the authority of"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nUnder the [Fireworks Bylaw 07-070](<https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/fireworks-bylaw-07-070>), a person may fire or discharge fireworks only if authorized by a permit. The bylaw sets no dates or hours for residents. Possessing fireworks also needs a current permit unless the person is a wholesaler. Only wholesalers (permit holders in bulk sales under a City business licence) may offer for sale, sell, give or trade fireworks.\n\n\"Fireworks\" means Class 7 fireworks under the federal Explosives Regulation. It does not include sparklers, Christmas crackers, caps for toy guns, model rocket engines, or highway flares and small distress signals.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Apply to the Fire Chief at least 14 days before the event. The Fire Chief may grant or refuse a permit.\n2. Include proof of a Fireworks Supervisor Certificate, $5 million liability insurance, and a site plan.\n3. Pay the fee of $100 per event. There is no fee for City-sponsored events or events by local not-for-profit community associations. A site re-inspection is $100.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Possessing or firing fireworks without a permit: a bylaw notice (Bylaw 16-017) is $400 ($300 if paid within 14 days); a municipal ticket (Bylaw 10-071) is $400 ($350 if paid within 30 days).\n- Selling without a permit: a bylaw notice is $500; a municipal ticket is $750. The two schedules differ here, so confirm with the City.\n- The court penalty is $200 to $10,000.\n- If misuse brings out the fire department, the bylaw also sets an incident service fee of $500 per hour per unit, with a three-hour minimum.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/fireworks-bylaw-07-070","title":"Fireworks Bylaw 07-070 (consolidated to March 1, 2015) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/635","title":"Ticket Bylaw 10-071 (consolidated June 18, 2026) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/2923","title":"Bylaw Notice Adjudication Bylaw 16-017, Schedule B (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/fireworks/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/fireworks.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/fireworks.json"}}