Does insurance cover fireworks damage and injuries?

Is firework damage covered by homeowners insurance?

Homeowners insurance covers fireworks damage, including damage to others' property through your liability coverage, as long as the fireworks were legal in your state and the damage was not intentional. If the fireworks were illegal or used maliciously, your policy will not cover the damage.

Using illegal fireworks voids your homeowners insurance coverage for any resulting damage or injuries. Massachusetts is the only state that bans all consumer fireworks. Check the American Pyrotechnics Association's state law directory to confirm which fireworks are legal where you live before the 4th of July.

The dwelling coverage portion of your homeowners insurance policy covers accidental firework damage to your home, while your homeowners liability coverage will cover damage to the property of others, or injuries to others, resulting from legal use of fireworks.

Your homeowners insurance does not cover the following fireworks scenarios, even when fireworks are legal in your state:

You get into a bottle-rocket war and injure a friend. You are not covered because intentional acts are excluded from homeowners insurance policies.
You injure yourself while lighting a firework. You won’t be covered under your home insurance because you can't file a liability claim against your own policy. Your health insurance will cover you.
You use a firework to target someone’s property. You are not covered if you intentionally shoot fireworks at a neighbor's home or vehicle, even if fireworks are legal in your state. Intentional damage is excluded from homeowners coverage.

How much will a firework home insurance claim increase my premiums?

Filing a fireworks-related homeowners insurance claim raises your premium by an average of 17% to 28% for one claim and 29% to 55% for two claims, depending on claim type. Fire claims produce the largest increases.

Multiple fireworks claims produce compounding rate increases, and fire claims generate the largest premium increases of the three claim types shown, reaching 55% after two claims.

Claim type	Average % increase for one claim	Average % increase for two claims
Fire	28%	55%
Liability	24%	46%
Medical	17%	29%

These figures are national averages. Home insurance rates in high-risk fire regions or states with frequent fireworks activity may exceed these averages. Compare home insurance rates for the ZIP code to assess your local baseline.

Does car insurance cover firework damage?

Car insurance covers accidental firework damage as long as you carry comprehensive coverage on your policy. Comprehensive car insurance covers damage from events other than collisions, including fire, theft, falling objects and weather. Fireworks damage, including fire from a misfired firework landing on your vehicle, qualifies as a covered peril under comprehensive.

As with home insurance, the damage must not be intentional or the result of illegal activity.

If a neighbor's firework damages your car, their homeowners liability insurance is responsible for the repair cost. Filing with your own car insurance company instead can speed up repairs. Your insurer will pursue reimbursement from the responsible party's insurer through subrogation.

Does renters insurance cover firework damage?

Renters insurance covers fireworks damage and liability in the same way as homeowners insurance, as long as the fireworks were legal and the damage was accidental. However, renters insurance only covers damage to your personal property, and not to the structure, which is covered by the landlord's policy. Like homeowners insurance, renters insurance does not provide coverage for your own injuries, but does provide liability coverage for injuries to others.

Firework incident	Homeowners insurance	Renters insurance
Guest injured by fireworks on your property	Covered under personal liability	Covered under personal liability
Neighbor's property damaged by your firework	Covered under personal liability	Covered under personal liability
Your own property damaged by fireworks	Covered under dwelling/personal property	Covered under personal property (your belongings only)
Illegal fireworks cause damage	Not covered	Not covered

How to prevent fireworks damage

Preventing fireworks damage starts with following safety rules that reduce the risk of fire, injury and property damage. The steps below apply whether you are using legal consumer fireworks or attending a private display.

In 2024, fireworks caused an estimated 14,700 injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Some injuries involved permanent damage to hands, fingers and eyes. Insurance covers the financial cost, but it does not reverse physical injuries.

Tips for preventing fireworks accidents include:

Don't use illegal fireworks.
Keep fireworks away from children – kids should remain at least 30 feet away at all times.
Never point fireworks at others.
Use fireworks outdoors on a flat, hard surface in an open area.
Avoid lighting fireworks on grass or in containers.
Wear eye protection.
Keep a fire extinguisher, hose or bucket of water handy to put out fireworks.
Put used fireworks into a bucket of water.
Do not use alcohol when lighting fireworks.

Attending a professional fireworks display eliminates the liability and property damage risks associated with consumer fireworks use. If you do use consumer fireworks, a single fire claim raises the average homeowners premium by 28%; two claims raise it by 55%, based on the national averages shown above.

Sources:

National Fire Protection Association. “Fireworks Safety.” Accessed June 2026.
Consumer Product Safety Commission. “2024 Fireworks Annual Report.” Accessed June 2026.