PORTLAND, Ore. — The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and Oregon's annual legal sales period for consumer fireworks began on Sunday. But even as retail stands have started popping up in neighboring areas, Portland officials have been quick to remind residents that the city maintains a year-round total ban on fireworks.
Outside of Portland, the overall metro area is a bit of a patchwork when it comes to the legality of personal fireworks, especially since the region is split between two states with their own sets of rules, and individual cities in either state are free to enact tougher restrictions.
Oregon law permits the sale and use of ground-based consumer fireworks like wheels, fountains and sparklers from June 23 to July 6, but aerial devices like bottle rockets and roman candles are banned statewide. Washington's state-level rules are less restrictive, allowing for the sale of a certain aerial pyrotechnics like roman candles and reloadable mortars.
However, Washington's window of time for legal fireworks is narrower; sales and use are only allowed from June 28 to July 5. There are also statewide time-of-day restrictions for sales and usage, whereas Oregon has no such rules.
Hazardous weather conditions have prompted Portland-area cities and counties to enact one-off emergency bans in prior years, but the following list only covers permanent local rules. Here's a rundown of where things stand across the region:
Total permanent bans
Vancouver permanently banned all fireworks starting in 2016, Portland banned them starting in 2022 and Milwaukie banned them starting last year. The bans apply to both sales and use, and the city of Portland's webpage notes that even sparklers are included in the ban.
Type or time restrictions
Vancouver is the only Clark County city that has banned fireworks altogether, but many of the others — and the county itself — have imposed local restrictions that go beyond the state-level rules.
In Camas, sales are only legal July 2-4 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and July 5 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and discharge is legal only on July 4 from 9 a.m. to midnight. In Washougal, sales are restricted to July 2-4 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., and discharge is allowed only July 4 from 9 a.m. to midnight. Washougal also bans all aerial fireworks, even ones that are legal elsewhere.
In Ridgefield, fireworks discharge is allowed only on July 4 from 9 a.m. to midnight. In Battle Ground, sales are legal July 1-4 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., and discharge is allowed July 3 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and July 4 from 9 a.m. to midnight.
In the unincorporated areas outside of the cities, Clark County only allows fireworks to be used on July 4 form 9 a.m. to midnight.
No restrictions beyond state law
- Gresham
- Troutdale
- Happy Valley
- Oregon City
- Lake Oswego
- West Linn
- Wilsonville
- Tualatin
- Tigard
- Beaverton
- Hillsboro
Aside from Portland and Milwaukie, all of the metro area cities on the Oregon side either don't mention a fireworks policy on their websites or reiterate the state's rules. Cities do generally ban fireworks in public parks, however, even if they don't otherwise have a firework policy. Aside from Clark County, the metro area counties generally don't add restrictions, so the state's rules are also the prevailing policy in unincorporated areas.
