Groningen closes the consumer-fireworks exemption route for New Year 2026/27

What Groningen decided

Dutch national law allows municipalities to grant a narrow New Year exemption to locally connected associations or foundations. Groningen’s municipal executive announced on 26 August 2026 that it will grant no such exemptions for the coming celebration.

Associations had been able to apply since 1 August, but the municipality says it had received no applications. Its decision nevertheless goes further than closing an unused application round: Groningen will not approve an F2 exemption for 2026/27.

The municipality cites safety, enforceability and clarity. It also considers the preparation period too short and the exemption requirements too extensive for responsible local events. Police, the Public Prosecution Service, the fire brigade and municipal departments were consulted.

What is and is not prohibited

Category F1

F1 remains available to consumers nationally. Examples can include sparklers, throw-down snaps and some small fountains.

Check for “F1” on the original packaging, Dutch instructions and the minimum age. National permission does not override a venue rule, temporary local restriction or event prohibition.

Categories F2, F3 and F4

Consumers may no longer buy, possess, transport or light these categories. The ban applies not only to heavy fireworks that were already illegal, but also to familiar F2 products that could previously be sold to consumers.

Association displays

A national exemption route exists, but Groningen will issue no exemptions for New Year 2026/27. Calling a house party a club event does not create permission.

Professional displays

A licensed professional display can still take place through the separate professional system. Groningen points to the professionally organised display traditionally held in Ten Boer as an example of the type of event that remains legally possible.

This is not confirmation that a particular 2026/27 show, time or location has received final approval. Check the organiser’s current programme before travelling.

Carbide shooting

Carbide shooting is governed separately by municipal rules. Groningen’s refusal of F2 exemptions does not, by itself, establish whether carbide shooting is permitted at a particular place or time.

A Reddit comment is not permission. Check the municipality’s specific 2026/27 carbide conditions.

Fireworks bought legally in the past can now be illegal to keep

A receipt from an earlier year does not preserve the right to possess F2, F3 or F4 fireworks. The consumer prohibition took effect on 1 August 2026 and includes possession and transport.

Do not place fireworks in household waste, carry them on public transport or arrive unannounced at a police station or recycling facility.

A national free and anonymous surrender campaign runs from 1 September through 9 October 2026. Its organisers say fireworks can be handed in without a fine or criminal record.

Groningen’s surrender stop is scheduled for:

5 October 2026, 08:00–17:30

At the time of publication, the exact Groningen location had not yet been announced. Check the official surrender campaign page shortly before travelling.

The safe route is:

1. Leave the fireworks unused and preferably in the original packaging.
2. Check the live Groningen location and transport instructions.
3. Use the official campaign rather than improvising disposal.
4. Do not handle an item that is damaged, leaking or immediately dangerous.
5. Keep people away and call 112 if there is an acute fire or explosion risk.

The ban’s first major test comes on 31 December

The law entered into force in August, but New Year 2026/27 will be its first large practical test.

Groningen argues that refusing exemptions creates one recognisable enforcement line. Someone lighting F2 consumer fireworks cannot claim that the activity may belong to an authorised local club.

That clarity does not guarantee a silent night. Illegal fireworks were prohibited before the new law, yet they still entered the country and were still used. Enforcement depends on evidence, safe intervention and the willingness of residents to comply.

The Council of State warned during preparation of the exemption rules that workable enforcement and a wider change in behaviour would be necessary. Groningen’s decision removes one ambiguity; it does not remove illegal supply.

Why the Netherlands introduced the ban

During New Year 2025/26, 1,239 people received treatment for fireworks injuries at an emergency department or GP out-of-hours service, according to the Dutch government. That was seven percent more than a year earlier.

Thirty-nine percent of the victims were younger than 16, and approximately half were bystanders. The government also reports that more than 500 emergency workers encountered violence during the New Year period.

These are national figures, not a Groningen injury count.

Locally, Groningen refers to a 2023 survey in which 67 percent of respondents supported a complete ban. A survey cannot predict compliance, but it helps explain why the executive chose a uniform rule instead of experimenting with exemptions during the first prohibited New Year.

Possession matters before anyone lights a fuse

Current government guidance gives a minimum fine of €100 for buying, possessing or lighting prohibited fireworks. The penalty can be higher depending on the quantity, type of product, circumstances and previous offences.

A penalty can also produce a criminal-record entry and affect a future Certificate of Conduct, or VOG.

Do not store a box for a friend, transport fireworks because somebody else bought them or assume that a product purchased abroad becomes legal after crossing the Dutch border.

A practical plan for student houses

• Tell guests before the event that F2, F3 and F4 fireworks are not permitted in the house, garden, shed or bicycle storage.
• Do not collect money for an informal display.
• Do not accept unidentified fireworks for temporary storage.
• If using legal F1 products, follow the packaging, minimum-age, location and event rules.
• Keep all products away from crowds, animals, balconies, entrances and escape routes.
• Save the official event programme rather than relying on a previous year’s screenshot.
• Keep enough battery and money for a safe independent route home.
• Call 112 for a fire or immediate danger to life.
• For a non-urgent police matter, use 0900-8844.

Public celebrations remain possible

Professional events operate outside the consumer exemption system. A properly licensed display may therefore still form part of the regional programme.

Wintergoud begins on 27 November 2026, but the complete winter and New Year programme had not been published at the time of writing. Previous events do not guarantee the same location, time or format this year.

Students should check the final municipal or organiser announcement, identify legal bicycle parking and plan the return journey before the evening begins.

The dates to save

• 1 August 2026: national consumer prohibition for F2, F3 and F4 took effect.
• 1 September–9 October 2026: free, anonymous national surrender campaign.
• 5 October 2026, 08:00–17:30: scheduled Groningen surrender stop; location still to be announced.
• 31 December 2026–1 January 2027: first New Year under the national ban, with no Groningen F2 exemptions.

The Groningen decision is stricter than granting a few supervised local exceptions, but it is not accurately described as a prohibition of every spark. F1 products, professional displays and carbide shooting each follow their own rules. The practical message is simpler: private consumers cannot possess or light F2, F3 or F4, and no Groningen club can make that legal for them this New Year.