(a)  Any person found to be in violation of the provisions of this chapter relating to possession of display fireworks and aerial consumer fireworks or pyrotechnics shall be fined not less than one hundred ($100) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500) or imprisoned for not more than one year. Any person found to be in violation of the provisions of this chapter relating to use or display of display fireworks and aerial consumer fireworks or pyrotechnics shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be fined not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or imprisoned for not more than five (5) years, or both.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 23-28.11-9

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6

(b)  The state fire marshal or the fire marshal’s deputies or any officer qualified to serve criminal process may arrest without a warrant any person found in violation of this chapter and shall seize immediately any and all of the display fireworks and aerial consumer fireworks and/or pyrotechnics in illegal use, possession, or under that person’s control, and the display fireworks and aerial consumer fireworks seized shall upon conviction of the person be forfeited to the state.

(c)  Notice of the seizure of the display fireworks and aerial consumer fireworks and/or pyrotechnics shall immediately be sent to the marshal by the officer making the seizure and the fireworks and/or pyrotechnics seized shall be held and securely stored by that department until the marshal or the marshal’s authorized explosives technician takes them into his or her possession for disposal.

History of Section.
P.L. 1976, ch. 271, § 7; P.L. 1994, ch. 419, § 2; P.L. 2003, ch. 106, § 9; P.L. 2003, ch. 107, § 9; P.L. 2010, ch. 25, § 2; P.L. 2010, ch. 28, § 2.