All this week leading up to the Fourth of July chances are you will hear someone in your neighborhood shooting off fireworks. But aren't fireworks illegal in New York?

Yes and No.

Only certain types of fireworks are currently illegal according to New York State laws.

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Only ground-based fireworks that emit showers of sparks, handheld wood sparklers, party poppers, and snappers are legal to buy and use in New York State. Any other type of fireworks, like bottle rockets or M-80s, are illegal in the state.

Now we know that you can buy any type of fireworks in Pennsylvania or on the Native American reservations. I remember growing up my Uncle Lee taking the annual trip to Erie, PA to stock up for our Fourth of July parties.

Now, most police departments are pretty chill when it comes to letting people shoot off "illegal" fireworks on the Fourth of July. Most times you can sit on your back porch and see an amazing show all around you.

But what if the police are not chill or maybe someone keeps on shooting fireworks off on July 8th? Well, you could see some jail time.

In New York State, if you are caught setting off illegal fireworks, you could be charged with disorderly conduct or reckless endangerment, or both which is a felony. Depending on the degree to which you are charged you could spend anywhere between 90 days and seven years in jail. You could also be fined up to five thousand dollars.

So this Fourth of July weekend you might just want to sit back, chill, and enjoy the fireworks shows put on by your neighbors and not worry about spending any time in jail.

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