SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO) — Unless they knew better, a visitor driving around Sioux Falls on the Fourth of July might think it’s legal to set off fireworks in the city. But it’s not; per the city’s code of ordinances, any firework which makes an audible explosion or can be launched into the air is illegal.
“Driving around the city, just in general, I mean, there’s fireworks going off everywhere and generating calls everywhere,” said Erin Bertram, who works as a school resource officer for the Sioux Falls Police Department.
Bertram says she was all over the city on the Fourth of July, taking calls complaining about fireworks. Police spokesman Sam Clemens says 2024 was more or less a typical year.
“Pretty much what we’ve seen in the past, just kind of a slow build-up,” Clemens said. “On the Fourth, that’s when the bulk of them happened: 135 fireworks complaints on the Fourth itself. 60 in the day after, some of those may have been after midnight, and then things kind of dropped off from there.”
Overall, police gave out five written warnings and five citations. But, as Bertram points out, there are still legal options like smoke bombs or sparklers.
“I have kids, and we did some fireworks in town, the fun, like, smoke balls and things like that,” Bertram said. “Obviously you can do those in town, so make sure you just look at the city ordinances for it and figure out what you can and cannot do.”
