If you wish to store fireworks, either to sell or for a display, you must have an up-to-date registration or licence. If you store fireworks and you are not registered or licensed, you could be fined up to £5,000 or given a prison sentence of up to six months.
On this page you can find out how to apply for a licence. You can also find information about what fireworks you can sell and when.
Storing fireworks
The type of licence you will need will depend on the amount of fireworks you wish to store.
| Amount of fireworks | Licence type | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| More than 5 kg and less than 250kg | Local council licence from Newham Council (PDF) | All licences are valid until 30 September each year regardless of when you applied. You will need to renew your licence before 1 October each year. |
| More than 250Kg up to 2000Kg |
Health and Safety Executive licence Fireworks storage registration from Newham Council
|
All licences are valid until 30 September each year regardless of when you applied. You will need to renew your licence before 1 October each year. |
If you are unsure about applying for a licence, please trading.standards@Newham.gov.uk or call 0203 373 9937.
Selling fireworks
What you can and cannot sell
- It is illegal for retailers to sell fireworks to anyone who is under 18 years old.
- It is illegal to sell caps, cracker snaps, novelty matches, party poppers, serpents and throwdowns to anyone under 16 years old.
- You must only sell fireworks that conform to British Safety Standards and meet certain noise conditions.
For more information about fireworks, including licensing, categories of fireworks and age restriction, visit the Business Companion website.
You can only sell fireworks during the days around:
- Bonfire Night
- New Year's Eve
- Diwali
Chinese New Year. If you wish to sell fireworks outside the permitted periods you will need to apply for a licence to sell fireworks all year round from us, at a cost of £500.
