Full Notification

As Santa Barbara County celebrates Independence Day tomorrow, July 4, 2018, the Sheriff’s Office would like to remind residents and visitors to the area that all fireworks are illegal to possess or use throughout Santa Barbara County. The exception is in the cities of Lompoc and Santa Maria, which allow only designated “Safe and Sane” fireworks to be purchased and used within the city limits.

With the dry conditions and recent impact from wildfires, the use of fireworks poses an extreme fire danger in our communities. Deputies will be actively enforcing laws pertaining to the possession or use of illegal fireworks. Depending on the type of amount of fireworks, violators could be subject to citation or arrest.

The Sheriff’s Office also wants to remind community members to refrain from using firearms for celebratory purposes on Independence Day. The discharge of any firearm or BB device in a grossly negligent manner is a misdemeanor in the state of California and is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year.

The best way to enjoy fireworks and other local festivities is to attend one of the many organized community events taking place in our county.

Residents can report firework violations in Sheriff’s jurisdictions by calling our non-emergency dispatch center at 805-683-2724, or 9-1-1 in an emergency situation.