RELAX, DON’T DO IT. COPS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY ISSUE WARNING.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — If you think you’re going to celebrate the start of 2026 by shooting guns or fireworks, you probably should think again. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is warning anyone thinking of firing a gun at midnight as some sort celebratory ritual that it’s illegal. You will be arrested if caught. And PBSO — and local police departments — are quite good at finding people who commit crimes or do stupid illegal things.
If you’re thinking of shooting off fireworks, that too may be illegal depending on where you are. While the State of Florida does permit fireworks in some places on New Year’s Eve, note this: your HOA, COA, or other property owner association has the right to ban fireworks. Simply put: if your community says fireworks are banned, they are banned.
Penalties are no joke. Your HOA can have you “trespassed” (which means you could end up with a ticket and in court), you can be fined, and in some circumstances you can be arrested. The reality: most people don’t want to hear your fireworks in their community at midnight. No one wants them falling on their homes. And HOA’s have the right to enforce community rules however they see fit. If your security team swears out a complaint against you, you could quite possibly welcome 2026 in the Palm Beach County Jail. And yes parents: if your kids violate your HOA’s rules, you can be held responsible — both civily and criminally.
We also state the obvious: drinking and driving is an exceptionally bad idea. All police departments in the region dramatically increase patrols for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day — meaning your odds of being stopped and arrested for DUI also dramatically increase. Our advice: be smart, be considerate, or be the subject of our arrest reports as 2026 gets underway.
