As the nation celebrates its birthday, police are reminding residents about fireworks laws.
If you’re stocked up on bottle rockets, firecrackers, and other celebratory explosives, you do face some restrictions.
Indiana Code allows you to discharge fireworks on your property on a legal holiday until midnight.
But there are also local ordinances.
Vanderburgh County Code prohibits the possession or discharge of fireworks within a park.
And the City of Evansville further restricts the use of fireworks.
During the Independence Day period – from June 29th until July 9th – the city allows the use of “consumer fireworks” from 5:00 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.
On the Fourth, you can shoot off legal fireworks between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 midnight.
In a news release Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding said intentionally annoying your neighbors during the work week could result in a ticket for disorderly conduct.
Residents can call 911 to report the unsafe or illegal use of fireworks, but you’re asked to refrain from calling 911 to report fireworks use that is in compliance with the law.
The sheriff’s office says fireworks complaints in the county have declined in recent years.
The sheriff received only eight complaints last summer, compared to 38 in 2016.