Grover Beach Police Department will be cracking down on homeowners and tenants if their property becomes the launch site of illegal fireworks.
The new enforcement effort has the Grover Beach City Council to thank for unanimously adopting a “social host” ordinance on May 27. The updated fireworks law, which takes effect June 27, aims to curb the presence of illegal fireworks in the area.
“Over the years, illegal/dangerous fireworks continue to be an issue within our community,” Police Chief Jim Munro told New Times. “We hear from residents each year that more must be done.”
Illegal fireworks are those that are prohibited from being sold, possessed, or used by the general public unless those people hold a special display license.
Calls to the police complaining about fireworks activity have been decreasing over the years, but they’re prevalent around the Fourth of July. In 2020, 81 of the total 299 fireworks calls occurred between July 3 and 5. The total number of fireworks-related calls dropped to 98 in 2024, 37 of which took place around July 4.
“Thank you for this ordinance,” a Grover Beach resident and the sole public speaker at the May 27 meeting said. “My dog goes nuts from mid-June through after July, and I appreciate it, because when he goes nuts, I can’t sleep.”
Last year, police cited eight people for possessing and using illegal fireworks, according to Munro. All people cited since 2021 have been males between the ages of 15 and 54 years. While the bulk of those people were Grover Beach residents, some offenders came from Los Osos, Atascadero, Arroyo Grande, Guadalupe, and even Las Vegas.
Grover Beach’s ordinance update arrives on the heels of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors adopting a similar law impacting unincorporated communities, especially the Oceano Community Services District.
“Staff would also note for the council’s awareness that ‘safe and sane’ fireworks will not be allowed in Oceano beginning this year pursuant to county codes, given the county’s new responsibility for fire service in Oceano,” the Grover Beach staff report said. “This will provide an opportunity to observe how such a change will impact overall illegal fireworks use in a community.”
With City Council’s adoption of the ordinance that slaps a $1,000 fine on social hosts for each illegal fireworks-related violation on their premises, the Police Department will now conduct an outreach campaign ahead of Fourth of July enforcement.
Munro told New Times that the current law only allows police to cite the person lighting the fireworks. Identifying them is difficult in darkness. Now, police will use drones to observe violations from the air—allowing them to issue citations to the person responsible for the property at the time, whether they’re the renter or property owner.
City Councilmember Kathy McCorry-Driscoll also suggested partnering with nonprofits to spread the word about where people can purchase safe and sane fireworks (legal ground-based fireworks approved by the State Fire Marshal). Fellow council members and the police chief agreed with the idea.
“Since the county and other cities are doing similar ordinances, I think it’s important to maintain consistency so people aren’t jumping over our very close borders just to light off fireworks,” Mayor Kassi Dee said. Δ
This article appears in May 29 – Jun 8, 2025.