The Iowa legislature has sent the governor a bill that would override city and county ordinances that ban fireworks on Independence Day.
Representative Bill Gustoff, a Republican from Des Moines, said the bill eliminates a confusing patchwork of ordinances that prevent Iowans from celebrating the country’s independence from Great Britain the way the founding fathers intended.
“Fireworks would be able to be fired off in any jurisdiction of the State of Iowa on the dates of July 3 and 4 and December 31,” Gustoff said. “We’re leaving local control and regulation in place for the other days of the year.”
The legislature needs to act now because of a big event in 2026, according to Gustoff.
“Next year we’ll be celebrating the 250th anniversary of our country and there are people who will want to be able to shoot off fireworks,” Gustoff said, “including patriotic Iowans living in many cities across the state.”
The bill passed the House Monday on a 51-39 vote. Representative Eric Gjerde, a Democrat, is a policeman in Cedar Rapids, where fireworks are not allowed within city limits. He said consumer fireworks are not just a nuisance, they’re a danger.
“In 2024 between June 1 and July 8, we received 636 calls for service for fireworks,” Gjerde said. “The Cedar Rapids Fire Department responded to two dumpster fires, two grass fires, one small debris fire and several small fires were fireworks evidence was the sole cause.”
Gjerde said the most concerning calls are from people who hear consumer fireworks, but think they heard gunshots and 911 reports of gunshots require a heightened police response.
“When we take away the local control of cities and counties to determine what works best for them and what works best for their individuals, to me it’s just easier to say, ‘Let’s get rid of consumer fireworks altogether and stick with the display fireworks by our cities and our counties.”
A state law passed in 1938 banned the use of fireworks in Iowa. Then, in 2017 the legislature ended the ban and legalized the sale and use of fireworks. Gustoff noted fireworks have been around since about 200 B.C.
“Their appeal is obvious and they’ve been used for celebrations around the world for centuries, even millenia in some regions,” Gustoff said. “There’s no denying their broadbased appeal and they’re here to stay.”
The Senate approved the bill last Wednesday on a 31-16 vote.