California Health and Safety Code Section 12505

CA Health & Safety Code § 12505 (2017)  

“Dangerous fireworks” includes all of the following:

(a)  Any fireworks which contain any of the following:

(1)  Arsenic sulfide, arsenates, or arsenites.

(2)  Boron.

(3)  Chlorates, except:

(A)  In colored smoke mixture in which an equal or greater amount of sodium bicarbonate is included.

(B)  In caps and party poppers.

(C)  In those small items (such as ground spinners) wherein the total powder content does not exceed 4 grams of which not greater than 15 percent (or 600 milligrams) is potassium, sodium, or barium chlorate.

(4)  Gallates or Gallic acid.

(5)  Magnesium (magnesium-aluminum alloys, called magnalium, are permitted).

(6)  Mercury salts.

(7)  Phosphorous (red or white except that red phosphorus is permissible in caps and party poppers).

(8)  Picrates or picric acid.

(9)  Thiocyanates.

(10)  Titanium, except in particle size greater than 100-mesh.

(11)  Zirconium.

(b)  Firecrackers.

(c)  Skyrockets and rockets, including all devices which employ any combustible or explosive material and which rise in the air during discharge.

(d)  Roman candles, including all devices which discharge balls of fire into the air.

(e)  Chasers, including all devices which dart or travel about the surface of the ground during discharge.

(f)  Sparklers more than 10 inches in length or one-fourth of one inch in diameter.

(g)  All fireworks designed and intended by the manufacturer to create the element of surprise upon the user. These items include, but are not limited to, auto-foolers, cigarette loads, exploding golf balls, and trick matches.

(h)  Fireworks known as devil-on-the-walk, or any other firework which explodes through means of friction, unless otherwise classified by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to this part.

(i)  Torpedoes of all kinds which explode on impact.

(j)  Fireworks kits.

(k)  Such other fireworks examined and tested by the State Fire Marshal and determined by him, with the advice of the State Board of Fire Services, to possess characteristics of design or construction which make such fireworks unsafe for use by any person not specially qualified or trained in the use of fireworks.

(Amended by Stats. 1977, Ch. 513.)

Last modified: October 25, 2018