Does Lexington County enforce fines for fireworks on New Year’s Eve?
When Lexington County reminded residents of its noise ordinance for fireworks on New Year’s Eve in a social media post, things quickly got explosive.
In the more than 500 comments on the county’s Facebook post, some accused county officials of being socialists. The insult “Karen” (defined by Urban Dictionary as “a middle-aged woman, typically blonde, [who] makes solutions to others’ problems an inconvenience to her, although she isn’t even remotely affected”) was hurled. So was “party pooper.”
But other commenters complained about the fireworks, the noise and the lack of enforcement.
Since Lexington adopted new rules two years ago governing the use of fireworks in unincorporated parts of the county, the county sheriff’s department hasn’t issued any citations for excessive noise violations on New Year’s Eve or July 4th, the two holidays for which the rules allow fireworks to be shot later than usual.
The sheriff’s department focuses on educating the public about the noise ordinance, around fireworks-centric holidays, department spokesman Adam Myrick said in an email to The State.
“We encourage everyone to be considerate to their neighbors (and their pets) as they ring in 2026. There are many with pets and personal considerations to be mindful of as you celebrate,” Myrick wrote.
Over the past four years the sheriff’s department has received some 250 noise complaint calls around New Year’s Eve and July 4th. As people rang in 2025, the department received 34 complaints about noise, according to numbers provided by the sheriff’s department.
What to know about the fireworks ordinance
The county council voted unanimously in October 2023 to amend its noise ordinance to include the use of fireworks. Restrictions on fireworks in unincorporated parts of the county, municipalities within the county have their own rules, include set timeframes for shooting them off and penalties for failing to follow the rules.
Fireworks cannot be shot after 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, under the ordinance. Doing so could carry a $150 fine from the sheriff’s department. For July 4th, residents are barred from shooting fireworks after 11 p.m., per the ordinance.
During an August 2023 public hearing, 17 people either spoke in favor at the meeting or submitted online comments and 15 people either spoke against or submitted online comments in opposition. Janet Howell, a nurse practitioner who spoke at the meeting, said she was in favor of the ordinance because of the fireworks-related injuries she’d seen in the medical field.
“I’ve unfortunately treated hundreds of injuries from fireworks being handled by non-professionals. These injuries are mainly burns ... our closest medical facility that treats burns in this area is in Augusta, Georgia, which we all know is over an hour away,” Howell said.
Multiple people who spoke at the meeting in opposition to the added restrictions worked in the fireworks industry, including fireworks distributors and a lobbyist for the state’s firework association.
“It is my hope that county council will listen to the silent majority, that this elected body will not act on their own personal desires ... when enforcing laws, placing restrictions on our personal liberties,” said Brent Munnerlyn, the vice president of the South Carolina Fireworks Association.
What about other areas in Lexington County?
The fireworks ordinance only applies to unincorporated parts of Lexington County. Other municipalities within the county set their own rules about how and when people are allowed to shoot them off.
In November 2024, the town of Lexington passed an ordinance regulating the use of fireworks. It restricts their use on New Year’s Eve from 10 a.m. until 12:30 a.m. New Year’s Day.
For residents in the city limits of Cayce, fireworks are allowed between 10 a.m. on Dec. 31 and 1 a.m. on Jan. 1.
In West Columbia, fireworks are allowed between 9 a.m. on Dec. 31 to 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 1.
The county isn’t the only in the state to enforce rules around fireworks. Richland County allows fireworks in the unincorporated areas of the county on New Year’s Eve until 1 a.m. and has a potential $1,000 fine for violating the county’s ordinance.
This story was originally published December 31, 2025 at 9:30 AM.
