A new bill passed by the Kentucky legislature and signed into law will allow the sale and display of fireworks that were previously illegal in this state – fireworks that explode or shoot into the air.

In March, House Bill 333 became law making it legal to buy and detonate such fireworks in Kentucky.

The new law states that adults 18 years of age and older can shoot off previously illegal fireworks as long as they’re more than 200 feet from homes, vehicles or people.

With the new law, the area also has a new vendor for firework purchases that will be used to celebrate the July 4 holiday, as well as other holidays and special events, such as New Year’s Eve.

Page’s Grocery is the first Kentucky location to be able to sell “real” fireworks in this area. All fireworks sold there are the equivelant of fireworks sold in Tennessee for the past several years.

House Bill 333 was passed in efforts to recoup money for the state of Kentucky that otherwise would go to surrounding states like Tennessee.

Licensing fees, inpection fees and other fees are required to be able to sell fireworks in Kentucky and that money will be used for education and other purposes.

In order to sell fireworks in Kentucky, potential dealers have to have a sale tax license, and pay a $250 fee for seasonal sales. In order to sell all year, that fee jumps up to $500 per year.

The seasonal fee will allow the sales of fireworks from June 10 to July 7 or December 26 to January 4.

David Page said there were some hoops to jump through, but overall he thinks it will be good for the ecomomy.

“Kentucky has not been able to sell real fireworks since 1982, so that means people have been traveling to Indiana or Tennessee to buy them,” Page said. “All my life I’ve had to go to Tennessee to buy fireworks. It doesn’t matter if they were illegal here or not, everybody went there and bought them. Now you can stay in your own state and your own county and buy them, plus the sales tax here is six percent … 10 percent down there.”

Page is optimistic his first year will be worth the time, and he is thankful he can provide a place for the local people.

“It will take three or four years for people to realize that they are legal now, but once that happens, you will see them pop up everywhere,” Page said.

“We’ve had several people stop and get fireworks,” Page said. “The distributor I deal with said for the first two weeks it will feel like I’ve wasted my time. He said I will sell 95 percent of the fireworks the day before and the day of the holiday.”

Page’s Grocery is located just across the Clinton County/Cumberland County line on KY 90.