The Fourth of July is less than two weeks away and plenty of folks are stocking up on fireworks. But there's a lot of confusion about what's legal and what will get you in trouble. ABC2 News Investigator Joce Sterman tells us what will get you burned by the law and how a rule in Pennsylvania confuses the issue.
Our neighbors to the north extend a warm welcome as you cross the state line. But that's not all Pennsylvania is offering. Fireworks you can't buy in Maryland can be found in shops that dot the border between the states. Baltimore resident Charles Hipp says, "They have a lot of better stuff here."
The fireworks may be more spectacular in Pennsylvania's stores, but they'll also land you in hot water back at home. Still, plenty of Marylanders are shopping, according to Carol Prouh, the manager of Nitro Fireworks in York County, PA. She says, "They come in here and this is like a candy store to them."
It's a candy store that doesn't allow customers from Pennsylvania. A loophole in the state law won't let residents from there buy fireworks in their home state. So stores like Nitro ask customers to provide an out-of-state driver's license. They also must sign an affidavit, promising to take their purchases out of Pennsylvania. Prouh says, "We don't ask where they're taking it...it just has to go back out of the state."
But once you cross back into Maryland that's when these hot items become a heated issue. In the Free State, only ground-based fireworks are legal so getting caught with anything that sends out an aerial display will cost you. Faron Taylor with the Maryland State Fire Marshal's office says, "Each and every violation of Maryland's fireworks law is subject to a $250 fine for each time so it can get pretty hefty."
Those fines only apply to the state's regulations. Every town and county in Baltimore has the right to go even further with the rules, banning all fireworks if they wish. That's why Taylor says it's important to know what fireworks are legal where you live. He says, "Purchase them in the jurisdiction where you're going to use them. Because only those fireworks that are legal in an area are sold in that area."
But if you've purchased something illegally, some counties will cut you a break. Prince George's and Montgomery Counties both offer a Fireworks Amnesty Program to residents. They can trade in illegal fireworks for tickets to Six Flags. Firefighters in those two areas say it's a trade they hope will get dangerous fireworks off the streets.
Our neighbors to the north extend a warm welcome as you cross the state line. But that's not all Pennsylvania is offering. Fireworks you can't buy in Maryland can be found in shops that dot the border between the states. Baltimore resident Charles Hipp says, "They have a lot of better stuff here."
The fireworks may be more spectacular in Pennsylvania's stores, but they'll also land you in hot water back at home. Still, plenty of Marylanders are shopping, according to Carol Prouh, the manager of Nitro Fireworks in York County, PA. She says, "They come in here and this is like a candy store to them."
It's a candy store that doesn't allow customers from Pennsylvania. A loophole in the state law won't let residents from there buy fireworks in their home state. So stores like Nitro ask customers to provide an out-of-state driver's license. They also must sign an affidavit, promising to take their purchases out of Pennsylvania. Prouh says, "We don't ask where they're taking it...it just has to go back out of the state."
But once you cross back into Maryland that's when these hot items become a heated issue. In the Free State, only ground-based fireworks are legal so getting caught with anything that sends out an aerial display will cost you. Faron Taylor with the Maryland State Fire Marshal's office says, "Each and every violation of Maryland's fireworks law is subject to a $250 fine for each time so it can get pretty hefty."
Those fines only apply to the state's regulations. Every town and county in Baltimore has the right to go even further with the rules, banning all fireworks if they wish. That's why Taylor says it's important to know what fireworks are legal where you live. He says, "Purchase them in the jurisdiction where you're going to use them. Because only those fireworks that are legal in an area are sold in that area."
But if you've purchased something illegally, some counties will cut you a break. Prince George's and Montgomery Counties both offer a Fireworks Amnesty Program to residents. They can trade in illegal fireworks for tickets to Six Flags. Firefighters in those two areas say it's a trade they hope will get dangerous fireworks off the streets.
