Are unlit fireworks from last year still legal to shoot if they’re past the ‘use by’ date?

[Lisa Martinez]

#6158

found a box of roman candles and a couple cakes from 4th of July 2025 in my shed and they’ve got that use by or manufacture date printed on em. been in a sealed tote, never wet. my question is whether its actually illegal to set these off now or if its just a safety thing. some states are real picky about this stuff and i dont wanna catch a fine over old fireworks.

[Ron Butler]

#6163

as long as they were stored dry and sealed its mostly a safety thing not a legal one. the date is more about the powder breaking down and the lift/star mix degrading. that said some local ordinances are written real broad about ‘safe and unexpired’ so a bored cop could give you grief. if they look clean and dry go for it just expect maybe a weak break or two.

[Michael]

#6162

seconding that its not really a legal line unless your state wrote one in. the manufacture date is there so the importer can track the lot if theres a recall, not really a hard ‘expires and becomes illegal’ thing. I’d worry more about how it was kept — if the tote got hot over a summer the lift might be off. do a test candle first before you light the whole cake.

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