GALLATIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee law now allows certain kinds of fireworks, like sparklers, to be sold year-round — but local governments can enact stricter rules. In Gallatin, city leaders have chosen to keep sparklers under the same restrictions that apply to all other fireworks.
Residents can buy sparklers from June 15 through July 5, and set them off July 1 through July 4. On July 4 itself, fireworks are permitted from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. On July 1 through July 3, the permitted hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Gallatin's fire chief said there was confusion after the state law changed, with some residents believing sparklers had been banned in the city.
"We are not banning sparkle devices. We're only changing when and where they can be sold. And we're just using our established plan that we've been using for years with fireworks. We're just keeping that in place," Fire Chief Jeff Beaman said.
"Fireworks are not banned. I promise you they're not banned. Again, the only thing that we changed was sparking devices will be sold with fireworks. We still have the same locations, the same time frames and the same times you can go out and enjoy those," Beaman said.
Outside of the Fourth of July window, Gallatin residents can also set off sparklers and other fireworks on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Fireworks are permitted from 10 a.m. on December 31 through 1 a.m. on January 1. The sales window for that period runs December 2 through January 2.
Retail permits to sell fireworks in Gallatin cost $2,500. Permits for public or private special display fireworks cost $250. Special event displays — including those by schools, wedding groups, businesses, civic clubs, or individuals — require a separate permit, which can be applied for at any time of year.
Before you head out to celebrate, make sure you know the rules. Watch our full report to get the details on when and where you can legally set off fireworks and sparklers in Gallatin — and share your questions or experiences with reporter Kim Rafferty at Kim.Rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
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