Crime & Safety
Massachusetts State Agencies Warn Motorists against Transporting Illegal Fireworks into the State
Officials remind residents it's illegal to bring fireworks into the state.
With the Fourth of July just around the corner, state officials are reminding residents that while it’s legal to purchase fireworks in other states, it is illegal to bring them into or through Massachusetts.
Massachusetts’ Department of Transportation is helping law enforcement officials get the word out to motorists to not break the law by bringing fireworks into or through the state, State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said in a statement issued last week.
You may have seen MassDOT message boards displaying a message over the weekend reminding motorists that fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts - the boards will have that same message June 27-29 and July 3-6.
Find out what's happening in Mansfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
When state and local police making a motor vehicle stop also discover fireworks, they are required to confiscate the fireworks. In addition, there are fines for the illegal possession and for the sale of fireworks.
“The pyrotechnic industry with their marketing campaigns would have you believe that the fireworks they sell are ‘safe and sane’ when they are neither, “ Coan said. “The thousands of emergency room visits across the country from fireworks at this time of year prove that,” said Coan.
Find out what's happening in Mansfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The state’s strong fireworks laws and public education efforts are effective in reducing fires and injuries caused by fireworks.
“Some fireworks are legal in Washington state which has about the same size population as Massachusetts,” Coan said. “They experience almost twice as many fires from fireworks, and have 45 injuries from fireworks for every one we experience here in the Commonwealth.”Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.