Fireworks law: the 11pm curfew, the Bonfire Night and Diwali exceptions, and who to call

What's happened

Bonfire Night falls on Thursday 5 November this year, and Diwali follows on Sunday 8 November, so the next week is one of the busiest of the year for fireworks. The rules on who can buy them, when they can be set off and how loud they can be are set out in law, mainly the Fireworks Regulations 2004 in England and Wales. GOV.UK says breaking them can lead to an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison, and police can also issue an on-the-spot fine of £90.

At a glance

• You must be 18 or over to buy adult fireworks (categories 2 and 3).
• No fireworks between 11pm and 7am, except until midnight on 5 November and until 1am on New Year's Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year.
• Registered shops can sell fireworks from 15 October to 10 November, from 26 to 31 December and for three days before Diwali and Chinese New Year.
• No fireworks in the street or other public places, and that includes sparklers.
• Category 3 fireworks sold to the public can't be louder than 120 decibels.

The curfew this week

The standard curfew is 11pm to 7am. On Bonfire Night it moves to midnight, so fireworks are legal until 12am on the night of Thursday 5 November. Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November are ordinary nights, so the 11pm cut-off applies.

Diwali on Sunday 8 November gets the later 1am cut-off, so fireworks can go on into the early hours of Monday 9 November.

Buying fireworks

You can't buy adult fireworks if you're under 18, and it's an offence for under-18s to have them in a public place. Outside the selling windows above, only shops with a year-round licence can sell to the public. Check the packaging for the category and the safety distance, and follow the safety advice from RoSPA and the Health and Safety Executive.

Noise limits

Regulation 8 of the 2004 rules bans the supply of category 3 fireworks that produce more than 120 decibels, measured 15 metres away. There's no separate decibel limit on how loud a back-garden display can be. In July 2026 the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) consulted on cutting the limit for consumer fireworks to 110 decibels. The British Retail Consortium says the consultation closed on 7 October and the change would need new regulations, so nothing has changed yet.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland is stricter. The Scottish Government says adult fireworks can only be set off in private places between 6pm and 11pm, with the same later cut-offs for Bonfire Night, New Year's Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year. Councils can also create firework control zones where you can't set them off at all. The penalty is a fine of up to £5,000, up to six months in prison, or both. Northern Ireland has its own licensing system, so check nidirect before you buy.

A worked example

This is an illustration. Your neighbour holds a party on Saturday 7 November and is still letting off rockets at 11.40pm. That's outside the legal hours, because the midnight extension only applies on 5 November. If it happened on Thursday 5 November at the same time, it would be legal.

If fireworks go off after 11pm on an ordinary night, that's a matter for the police on 101. If your neighbour sets off a short display at 9pm, it's legal, even if it upsets your dog. Council noise teams can look at repeated disturbance, but councils often say occasional fireworks within legal hours are unlikely to count as a statutory nuisance.

What to do now

1. Talk to neighbours first. Ask when they plan to hold their display so you can prepare pets or children.
2. Report fireworks after the curfew or in the street to the police on 101, or online through your local force.
3. Call 999 if someone is in danger, such as fireworks aimed at people, cars or homes.
4. Report repeated noise to your council's environmental health team, with dates and times written down.
5. Report shops selling to under-18s to your council's Trading Standards team through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.

Questions

Can I set off fireworks in a park?

Not unless it's an organised event with permission. It's an offence to set off or throw fireworks in the street or another public place.

Are sparklers covered?

Yes. GOV.UK says the ban on using fireworks in public places includes sparklers. Keep them for the garden, and supervise children closely.

What can I do to help my pets?

The RSPCA says fireworks are far louder to animals than to people and publishes separate advice for pets, horses and livestock. Plan walks before dark, keep pets indoors with curtains closed, and give them somewhere to hide. If you keep horses, ask neighbours to let you know about displays.

Ways to save

If your pet struggles with fireworks, Pets at Home sells calming products, beds and hideaways, and Pets Calm Down specialises in calming aids. Check our pages for current codes before you buy, and ask your vet before you try anything new.

Sources: GOV.UK: Fireworks and the law, Fireworks Regulations 2004, regulation 8, Scottish Government: Fireworks, the law, British Retail Consortium: OPSS fireworks consultation, RSPCA: Fireworks