During the 1993 session, the North Carolina General Assembly amended General Statute 14-414 concerning certain pyrotechnics. The amended law became effective on December 1, 1993. The purpose of this guideline is to make you aware of the changes in the law.
In the past, the only pyrotechnics that were allowed to be sold, possessed, or used in North Carolina were Explosive Caps, designed to be fired in toy pistols, provided that each cap did not contain an explosive mixture of more than twenty-five hundredths (.25) gram. Now the following are also allowed as of December 1, 1993:
- Wire Sparklers consisting of wire or a stick coated with non-explosive pyrotechnic mixture that produces a shower of sparks upon ignition. These items must not exceed 100 grams of mixture per item.
- Snake and Glow Worms composed of pressed pellets of a pyrotechnic mixture that produce a large snake-like ash when burning.
- Smoke Devices consisting of a tube or sphere containing a pyrotechnic mixture that produces white or colored smoke. (Smoke Bombs)
- Trick Noisemakers which produce a small report designed to surprise the user and which include:
- A Party Popper, which is a small plastic or paper item containing not in excess of 16 milligrams of explosive mixture. A string protruding from the device is pulled to ignite the device, expelling paper streamers and producing a small report.
- A String Popper, which is small tube containing not in excess of 16 milligrams of explosive mixture with string protruding from both ends. The strings are pulled to ignite the friction-sensitive mixture, producing a small report.
A Snapper or Drop-pop, which is a small paper-wrapped item containing no more than 16 milligrams of explosive mixture coated on small bits of sand. When dropped, the device produces a small report.