Andhra Pradesh Diwali 2026 Firecracker Rules: Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Guntur Timings, Green Crackers and Shop Licences

Quick answer: In Andhra Pradesh, Deepavali 2026 (Naraka Chaturdashi and Deepavali) falls on Sunday 8 November 2026. Only green crackers bought from licensed shops are allowed, under the Supreme Court's national rules. As of 25 October 2026 no 2026 order found from the state government, APPCB or the police in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati or Guntur. HinduTone also found no verified Andhra Pradesh order fixing cracker hours in earlier years, so the national default applies: 8 PM to 10 PM, and no loud crackers after 10 PM.

Part of: Diwali 2026 cracker rules by state

Are crackers allowed in Andhra Pradesh? (Deepavali tapasulu niyamalu)

Yes, within limits. Andhra Pradesh has not banned Deepavali crackers. The rules that apply are the national ones (green crackers only, sold by licensed traders, no barium and no joined "series" crackers, a two-hour evening window), plus whatever the district collector and police announce for shops and safety. District notices usually come out in the two or three weeks before Deepavali.

HinduTone could not open the APPCB, AP Police and AP Fire Services websites from its server during this check, and searches of the NTR, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Guntur district websites found no Deepavali cracker notice. The history below is from dated news reports.

Cracker timings (tapasula samayam)

2026: no Andhra Pradesh timing order found as of 25 October 2026.

What applies without a state order: Direction (xiv) of the Supreme Court's 23 October 2018 judgment limits bursting on Diwali to 8 PM to 10 PM and says this applies throughout India. The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 also forbid sound-emitting crackers between 10 PM and 6 AM.

In Telugu homes many families burst crackers on Naraka Chaturdashi morning and on Deepavali evening. If your district or police commissionerate announces its own hours for 2026, follow that notice.

Green crackers only (green tapasulu)

Green crackers use CSIR-NEERI formulations with lower emissions. In October 2025 APPCB chairman Dr P. Krishnaiah asked people to use only certified green crackers, which carry the CSIR-NEERI logo and a QR code, urged manufacturers and traders to make and sell only certified crackers, and said APPCB had issued a circular to district collectors and Superintendents of Police on regulating sale and use (The Hans India, 20 October 2025). (Official text not independently checked by HinduTone.)

• Scan the QR code on every box before you pay.
• Do not buy loose, unbranded or "factory outlet" crackers from roadside sellers.
• Joined "series" crackers and barium-based crackers are banned nationally.

The national baseline: what applies everywhere in India

Whatever Andhra Pradesh announces for 2026, a few national rules apply across India. HinduTone read these in the original texts:

• Green crackers only. In Arjun Gopal v. Union of India (judgment of 23 October 2018), the Supreme Court allowed only "improved" and "green" crackers with reduced emissions, and directed that sale be only through licensed traders. CSIR-NEERI (the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) developed the green-cracker formulations and registers manufacturers; genuine green crackers carry the CSIR-NEERI green logo and a QR code.
• Barium salts and joined crackers banned. The same judgment banned barium salts in fireworks and banned the manufacture, sale and use of joined firecrackers ("series crackers" or "laris").
• No online sales (2018 direction). The 2018 judgment told e-commerce websites not to accept online orders for firecrackers.
• The 8 to 10 PM default. Direction (xiv) of the 2018 judgment limited bursting on Diwali and similar festivals to 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve to 11:55 PM to 12:30 AM, and said this applies throughout India. Some states have asked for, and announced, different two-hour windows; where a state has issued its own order, follow that order.
• Night-time noise limit. Rule 5A(2) of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 (added in 2010) says sound-emitting firecrackers shall not be burst in a silence zone or during night time, which rule 2(j) defines as 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
• Silence zones. Under the same rules, an area of not less than 100 metres around hospitals, educational institutions and courts may be declared a silence zone by the state government.
• Police responsibility. The 2018 judgment made the local police responsible for ensuring that fireworks happen only at the permitted times and that banned crackers are not sold, with the Station House Officer personally answerable for violations.

Read the texts: Supreme Court judgment of 23 October 2018 (PDF) and Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, CPCB consolidated text (PDF).

2026: the Supreme Court is hearing the issue again. On 30 September 2026 a bench said it would neither impose a complete ban nor allow round-the-clock fireworks, and would look for "specified time" windows; the Centre also asked it to consider a conditional relaxation for CSIR-NEERI's "next-generation joined green crackers" with reduced barium (reported by DT Next, from PTI, on 30 September 2026). On 12 October 2026 the Chief Justice's bench, hearing the Delhi-NCR pollution case, favoured designated hours and public awareness (reported by The New Indian Express on 13 October 2026). Official texts were not independently checked. As of 25 October 2026 HinduTone found no new order changing the 2018 directions on timings, barium or joined crackers; if the court issues one before Diwali, it will override what is written here.

In October 2025 the Supreme Court (M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, order of 15 October 2025) again allowed only NEERI-approved green crackers for Delhi-NCR, and noted cases where green-cracker QR codes had been sold to unregistered makers. That order was specific to Delhi-NCR, but it is a useful warning everywhere: scan the QR code and buy only from a licensed shop. (Supreme Court order of 15 October 2025, PDF.)

History: what was announced in earlier years

These are past announcements, listed with dates. They are not the 2026 rule.

All rows are from news reports; the official text was not independently checked by HinduTone.

Cracker shops and licences (tapasula dukanam licence)

Selling crackers needs a licence under the Explosives Rules, 2008. For Deepavali, temporary shop licences are granted by the district administration after checks by the revenue department, the police and the fire services, and shops are placed on designated open grounds.

How it worked in 2025 (history): Sri Sathya Sai district invited online applications through the PESO website, asked for a challan fee and other documents, granted licences only after revenue and police verification and on production of GST details and fire NOC, and said licences from previous years were not valid (The Hans India, 22 September 2025). In Visakhapatnam, stalls were allowed at Andhra University Grounds and other sites chosen by the district administration (The Hans India, 20 October 2025). Each district sets its own process and dates, so check your collectorate's notice for 2026. (Official text not independently checked by HinduTone.)

Stricter checks after two explosions: after the 8 October 2025 Rayavaram blast and the 28 February 2026 Vetlapalem blast, which killed 21 people, the state said it would inspect fireworks units every three months and refused requests to relax safety norms (The Hans India, 2 March 2026). These rules are about factories and storage, but they are a reminder to buy only from licensed shops and never to store crackers at home in bulk. (Official text not independently checked by HinduTone.)

Police jurisdictions: Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Guntur

• Vijayawada: the NTR District Police Commissionerate.
• Visakhapatnam: the Visakhapatnam City Police Commissionerate. In 2025 its task force booked cases for unlicensed storage (The Hans India, 16 October 2025).
• Tirupati: the Tirupati district police, headed by the Superintendent of Police, and the district collector.
• Guntur: the Guntur district police and the district collector, who licenses temporary stalls.
• Rest of the state: the district police and collector.
• Trains: carrying crackers on trains is not allowed; in 2025 the Waltair railway division ran squads against it.

HinduTone does not have separate pages for these cities. In an emergency call 112.

Hospitals, schools and sensitive zones

Under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, sound-emitting crackers may not be burst in a silence zone (an area of not less than 100 metres around hospitals, educational institutions and courts, where declared) or between 10 PM and 6 AM. Keep well away from hospitals, nursing homes, schools, fuel stations and cracker stalls themselves.

Apartments, gated communities and colonies

• Choose one open area at ground level, away from parked cars, two-wheelers and gas lines.
• Burst only during the permitted time, with a volunteer, water, sand and an extinguisher ready.
• No crackers on balconies, terraces, cellar parking or near lifts and staircases.
• Keep a quiet space for elderly residents, babies, people who are unwell and pets.
• Buy together from one licensed shop so every box can be QR-checked.

12 safety tips for Diwali night

1. Buy only from a licensed shop and keep the bill. Check for the CSIR-NEERI green logo and scan the QR code on the box.
2. Burst crackers only in an open space, away from parked vehicles, dry leaves, thatched roofs, gas cylinders and electric lines.
3. Keep a full bucket of water and a bucket of sand nearby. Put used sparklers and duds straight into the water.
4. Wear close-fitting cotton clothes. Avoid loose silk or synthetic saris, dupattas and kurtas near flames.
5. Children must always be supervised by an adult. Give younger children only hand-held sparklers, held at arm's length.
6. Light crackers with a long agarbatti or incense stick, at arm's length, and step back at once. Never lean over a cracker.
7. Never relight a dud. Wait several minutes, then soak it in water.
8. Never burst crackers inside a home, on a balcony, in a stairwell or in a car park, and never throw them at people or animals.
9. Keep pets indoors in a quiet room; street dogs, cows and birds are badly frightened by loud bursts.
10. People with asthma, heart conditions, newborns and older relatives are best kept indoors with windows closed.
11. For a burn, cool it under clean running water for several minutes and seek medical help. Do not apply ice, toothpaste or oil.
12. Know the emergency numbers: 112 (all emergencies), 101 (fire) and 108 (ambulance in most states).
13. Do not carry crackers on buses or trains, or in your luggage.

Eco-friendly ways to celebrate

Telugu Deepavali has its own gentle customs: the Naraka Chaturdashi oil bath, Lakshmi Puja at dusk, rows of mattiprasu (clay) diyas and muggulu at the door. Some ideas:

• Light clay diyas with sesame or ghee, and fill the doorway with rangoli, kolam or muggulu made from rice flour and flower petals.
• Choose a short, shared community display in a permitted open space instead of many separate bursts in every lane.
• Use sky-safe lights: LED strings, paper lanterns (akash kandil) and torans of fresh mango leaves and marigolds.
• Spend the evening on Lakshmi Puja, a family aarti and sweets with neighbours; it is the heart of the festival.
• If you buy crackers, buy fewer, choose green crackers with a valid QR code, and avoid high-noise bombs.

Read more about the festival in our Telugu Deepavali 2026 traditions guide for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Frequently asked questions

Are firecrackers allowed in Andhra Pradesh for Deepavali 2026?

Green crackers from licensed shops have been allowed in recent years. As of 25 October 2026 HinduTone found no 2026 order from the Andhra Pradesh government, APPCB or the police commissionerates, so watch for district and police notices before Deepavali on Sunday 8 November 2026.

What are the cracker timings in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam?

HinduTone found no Andhra Pradesh order fixing timings for 2026, and no verified AP timing order for earlier years. Where no state order applies, the Supreme Court's national default is 8 PM to 10 PM on Diwali, and the Noise Rules forbid sound-emitting crackers from 10 PM to 6 AM.

Are only green crackers allowed in Andhra Pradesh?

Yes, that is the national rule, and in October 2025 the APPCB chairman urged people to use only certified green crackers and said the board had sent a circular to district collectors and police (The Hans India, 20 October 2025). Check for the CSIR-NEERI logo and QR code.

How do cracker shops get a licence in Andhra Pradesh?

Temporary Deepavali shop licences are granted by the district administration after police, revenue and fire checks. In 2025 Sri Sathya Sai district asked applicants to apply online through PESO and said a fresh licence is needed every year (The Hans India, 22 September 2025). The 2026 process may differ by district.

Can I burst crackers in my apartment in Vijayawada or Vizag?

Only in an open common area at ground level, away from parked vehicles and buildings, and only at the permitted time. Follow your apartment association's rules, which may be stricter. Never burst crackers on balconies or terraces.

Whom do I call to report illegal cracker sales?

Call 112 or 100. In 2025 the Visakhapatnam city police asked people to report unlicensed sales on these numbers (The Hans India, 16 October 2025).

Official sources

• NTR district (Vijayawada) official website
• Visakhapatnam district official website
• Tirupati district official website
• Guntur district official website
• Supreme Court of India: Arjun Gopal v. Union of India, judgment of 23 October 2018 (PDF)
• Supreme Court of India: M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, order of 15 October 2025 (PDF)
• CPCB: Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 (PDF)
• CSIR-NEERI (green crackers)
• PESO: Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (fireworks licences)
• All India Radio News, 28 February 2026: 21 killed in Vetlapalem fireworks unit explosion
• The Hans India, 20 October 2025: APPCB urges green crackers

APPCB (Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board), AP Police and AP State Disaster Response and Fire Services are the other authorities to watch; their websites did not load from the HinduTone server on 25 October 2026.

Last verified: 25 October 2026. Editor's note (25 October 2026): no 2026 Andhra Pradesh order had been published when HinduTone checked; this page will be updated when district or state notices appear.

Disclaimer: This page is general information for families, not legal advice. Rules are set by the state government, the pollution control board, the police and the courts, and they can change at short notice, often only days before Diwali. Always follow the latest official notice for your area. If in doubt, ask your local police station.

Also read: firecracker rules in other Indian cities

• Delhi Diwali 2026 firecracker rules
• Mumbai and Maharashtra Diwali 2026 firecracker rules
• Hyderabad Diwali 2026 firecracker rules
• Telangana Diwali 2026 firecracker rules
• Bengaluru and Karnataka Diwali 2026 firecracker rules
• Chennai and Tamil Nadu Deepavali 2026 firecracker rules
• Kolkata and West Bengal Diwali and Kali Puja 2026 firecracker rules
• Diwali 2026: complete 5-day guide, dates and Lakshmi Puja muhurat
• Eco-friendly, cracker-free Diwali 2026: ideas for families
• Diwali cracker safety: protecting people, street dogs and birds