Fireworks Permit ($50,000) Bond - Township of Cheltenham, PA in Pennsylvania

Brief Summary

Cheltenham Township will not issue a display fireworks permit until the Fire Marshal has a bond in hand, and the application has to name the surety. Lining up the $50,000 bond early, alongside the insurance the state requires, keeps the show date from being decided by paperwork.

Anyone setting off display fireworks in Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, needs a permit from the Township Fire Marshal under Chapter 194 of the township code. The applicant must submit a bond the township considers adequate, in a sum not less than $50,000, conditioned for payment of all damages to a person or property caused by the display. The bond is in addition to the $1,000,000 in insurance that 3 Pa.C.S. 1102 requires of every display fireworks permittee.

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How to Apply for a Fireworks Permit ($50,000) Bond:

• Identify the professional pyrotechnician who will handle the display.
• Apply for the bond in a sum of at least $50,000, or the higher amount the township asks for.
• Put Cheltenham Township on the bond as obligee and name the surety on the permit application.
• Obtain proof of the insurance of at least $1,000,000 that 3 Pa.C.S. 1102 requires.
• Submit the application and bond to the Township Fire Marshal.
• If weather intervenes, request an extension within the 24 hours Chapter 194 allows.

Detailed Information About the Pennsylvania Fireworks Permit ($50,000) Bond:

$50,000 is the floor, and it is not the insurance

Two things trip up applicants. First, Cheltenham's code does not fix the bond at $50,000. It calls for a bond deemed adequate by the township in a sum not less than $50,000, so the township can ask for more. Second, the bond does not replace insurance. Pennsylvania's fireworks law, 3 Pa.C.S. 1102, requires the municipality to make every display permittee carry insurance of at least $1,000,000 for damages to a person or property. Cheltenham's bond sits on top of that.

What the township code says

Chapter 194 of the Cheltenham Township Code, adopted March 28, 2018 by Ordinance No. 2366-18, makes it unlawful to possess or use display fireworks in the township without a permit. Permits are issued by the Township Fire Marshal or a designee. The application has to identify the professional pyrotechnician and the surety providing the bond. The bond is conditioned for the payment of all damages that may be caused to a person or property by reason of the display.

Weather delays

If weather forces a postponement, the permit holder can ask for an extension within 24 hours. The new date can be no later than one week after the original date, and no additional fee is charged for the extension.

Who can run the show

State law requires display fireworks to be handled by a competent operator at least 21 years old who shows evidence of fireworks handling and safety training. Cheltenham's permit is built around a professional pyrotechnician named on the application.

Penalties

A violation of the article carries a civil penalty of up to $1,000 plus costs of prosecution, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate violation.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Pennsylvania Fireworks Permit ($50,000) Bond:

• Bond deemed adequate by the township, in a sum not less than $50,000.
• Bond conditioned for payment of all damages to a person or property caused by the display.
• Insurance of at least $1,000,000 under 3 Pa.C.S. 1102, separate from the bond.
• Operator at least 21 years old with evidence of fireworks handling and safety training.
• Permit issued by the Cheltenham Township Fire Marshal or designee.

Pennsylvania Fireworks Permit ($50,000) Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Pennsylvania Fireworks Permit ($50,000) Bond: