Loudest & Proudest in WisconsinOpen Year-Round365+ Products, 14 CategoriesAsk Us About Pyro PointsGreater Milwaukee + Wisconsin and Illinois Border
Know the law
before you light.
Fireworks rules in Wisconsin are more layered than most people expect. Here’s the real picture — state law, local permits, and what changes if you’re crossing over from Illinois.
Wisconsin State Law
Under Wisconsin Statute § 167.10, a short list of “novelty” items is legal to buy, possess, and use statewide with no permit required:
- Sparklers on a wire or wood stick, up to 36 inches
- Fountains and cones
- Smoke bombs and toy snakes
- Party poppers, snappers, and certain novelty caps
Almost everything else we sell — firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles, and aerial repeaters — legally requires a local use permit from the city, village, or town where you plan to use them, issued before you use them. Buying it legally and using it legally are two different steps under Wisconsin law.
A few other things worth knowing: permits are generally tied to one specific date and location, can’t be issued to minors, and cities/villages/towns are allowed to pass ordinances that are stricter than state law — never looser. Purchasers must be 18 or older. Violations carry real penalties, including fines.
Getting a Permit Near Our Stores
Since permits are issued locally, where you’re planning to light matters as much as what you’re buying. Here’s how to start the process near each of our stores.
Big Bend
The Village of Big Bend issues individual fireworks use permits for a single date and location. Applications go through Village Hall and require proof of insurance or an indemnity bond.
Village Hall · W230 S9185 Nevins St, Big Bend, WI 53103
Genoa City
The Village of Genoa City sets its own permit process and ordinances under Walworth & Kenosha County. Check their Code & Ordinances page or call Village Hall before you plan your show.
Village of Genoa City, WI 53128
Shopping From Illinois?
Genoa City sits right on the Wisconsin/Illinois line, and a lot of our customers make the drive up from the Chicago suburbs. Worth knowing before you load up the car:
Illinois bans almost everything classified as “consumer fireworks” — firecrackers, Roman candles, bottle rockets, and repeaters are not legal to possess or use there without a special display permit most individuals don’t hold. Only novelty items (sparklers, party poppers, smoke devices) are legal in Illinois, and even those are banned in some cities, including Chicago.
What that means in practice: fireworks purchased here need to be used here in Wisconsin, under a valid local permit — not transported back across the state line for use at home. Bringing most of what’s on our shelves into Illinois for use there is a real legal risk, not just a technicality.
Official Sources
Local ordinances change, and this page is a starting point, not legal advice. For the exact current rules, go straight to the source.