Chevy Chase, MD (June 15, 2026) — The American Fireworks Standards Laboratory (AFSL), the nation’s leading independent fireworks safety and standards organization, has released its 2025 Fireworks Annual Report, reinforcing its longstanding mission to enhance consumer safety through testing, oversight, and data transparency.
Founded in 1989, AFSL provides the most rigorous testing standards in the industry, voluntarily adopted by responsible importers committed to consumer safety. AFSL standards exceed federal requirements and are used as a benchmark by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) itself. Each year, AFSL tests approximately 70% of all consumer fireworks imported into the United States, rejecting unsafe or noncompliant products before they reach the public.
With the CPSC discontinuing its annual fireworks injury report in 2023, AFSL stepped in to fill the gap, using the same government data sources and statistical methods to maintain consistency and reliability. While the data does not directly identify illegal or overloaded devices, AFSL remains concerned that the rising share of untested and uncertified products—comprising a significant share of all imports not tested by AFSL—poses a growing threat to public safety.
“We continue to see evidence of untested and illegal fireworks in the marketplace. Some of the more common illegal fireworks being sold to the American consumer are frequently packaged to resemble legal consumer fireworks, such as large Rockets, Missiles, Reloadable Aerial Shell Kits, Multiple-tube devices, and Firecrackers. These devices have not been tested, as required by federal law, and contain illegal amounts of highly energetic pyrotechnic materials that present a substantial product hazard and an unreasonable risk of severe injury to the consumer,” said Jay Howell, Executive Director of AFSL and former CPSC Deputy Executive Director of Safety Operations. “These illegal products are unforgiving if you get careless, and misuse can result in catastrophic injury or death.”
Key Safety Findings from the 2025 Injury Report
- An estimated 13,004 fireworks-related injuries, or 3.8 per 100,000 Americans, were treated in U.S. emergency departments in 2025, a decline of 12% from the prior year.
- 73% of the fireworks-related injuries were minor, resulting in the victim being treated and released from the emergency department, while 25% required hospitalization.
- 24 fatalities were reported, including 4 deaths resulting from individuals holding devices not designed to be handheld, attempting to launch aerial fireworks from their body, or failing to secure a safe shooting area. An additional six fatalities were associated with the use of devices illegal for consumer use, such as professional-grade display devices and highly energetic illegal explosives marketed as consumer fireworks.
- The number of estimated fireworks-related injuries resulting in hospitalization as a percentage of total estimated injuries has increased significantly over the last 10 years. There is not a significant upward trend in total number of estimated injuries, indicating that the injury severity has worsened.
Click here to view or download the full 2025 Fireworks Annual Report.
While most injuries were minor, the report emphasizes that misuse is the leading cause of severe injury. AFSL cautions against launching any device from the body, throwing fireworks, using fireworks while impaired, or purchasing items from unlicensed or unknown sellers.
“When fireworks are tested to the standards and used properly, they are remarkably safe,” Howell noted. “But we cannot ignore the fact that the testing of nearly a third of all imported product covers only the minimum requirements, at best, with a significant number being imported without any testing. That gap leaves room for dangerous, illegal devices to enter the market, often disguised as legitimate consumer fireworks.”
AFSL’s Ongoing Safety Priorities
AFSL’s testing program has reviewed more than 183 million cases of fireworks since it began testing in 1995, rejecting over 13.5 million cases due to safety concerns. Consumer fireworks tested by AFSL are compliant with all applicable federal regulations and safe when used as directed. However, AFSL remains alarmed by increasing reports of professional-grade or illegal overloaded fireworks reaching consumers through informal or illegal channels.
In response, AFSL is expanding its public outreach to promote the following guidance:
- Only purchase from licensed, reputable sellers.
- Follow all local and state laws governing use.
- Read and follow the instructions on the label. Heed all warnings.
- Never use fireworks while impaired.
- If not designed to be handheld, never hold fireworks in your hand while lighting the fuse.
- Never launch any device from your body.
- Soak your fireworks with water when the show is over and be sure they are cold before disposing of them in your trash receptacle.
AFSL’s annual injury report will now serve as an ongoing tool for data-backed insight and recommendations for regulators, public safety officials, and the general public.
About AFSL
The American Fireworks Standards Laboratory (AFSL) is a nonprofit, independent organization founded in 1989 to improve the safety of consumer fireworks sold in the U.S. Through voluntary but widely adopted testing—primarily at manufacturing sites in China and Cambodia, with additional work in Brazil, Thailand, and Mexico—AFSL helps ensure products meet or exceed federal safety standards. AFSL covers about 70% of all imported consumer fireworks and is committed to advancing safety through independent testing, industry education, and public outreach. The continued publication of its annual injury report extends this mission, offering data-driven insights to support safer celebrations nationwide.
