Kerala Diwali 2026 Firecracker Rules & Timings

Quick answer: Deepavali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November 2026. Kerala's October 2025 government order, as reported, allowed only green crackers and only for two hours, 8 PM to 10 PM, on Deepavali, with no bursting within 100 metres of hospitals, courts, schools and places of worship. As of 25 October 2026 no 2026 order found; the 2024 and 2025 orders were issued about two weeks before the festival, so a 2026 order is likely soon.

1. Kerala Deepavali 2026 firecracker timings

Occasion	Window	Source and status
Deepavali 2026 (Sunday 8 November)	No 2026 order yet	As of 25 October 2026 no 2026 order found.
Deepavali (2025 order)	8:00 PM to 10:00 PM, green crackers only	Kerala Kaumudi, 14 October 2025; TeamLease RegTech, 14 October 2025. Official text not independently checked.
Deepavali (2024 order)	8:00 PM to 10:00 PM, green crackers only	Onmanorama, 23 October 2024
Christmas and New Year (2024 order)	11:55 PM to 12:30 AM	Onmanorama, 23 October 2024
National default (Supreme Court, 2018)	8:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Diwali	Arjun Gopal v. Union of India, direction (xiv), applies throughout India.

The 2025 order is on the Kerala government documents portal (government order PDF), but the portal returned a "checking your browser" page and would not open for us on 25 October 2026, so we present its two key points as reported by Kerala Kaumudi and TeamLease RegTech. (Official text not independently checked by HinduTone.)

2. Green crackers only

Kerala Kaumudi reported on 14 October 2025 that the State Home Department ordered that only eco-friendly green crackers can be sold and used, in view of the Pollution Control Board's recommendations and the orders of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal. It also noted that most crackers sold in Kerala are made in Tamil Nadu and that only a few units make green crackers. TeamLease RegTech described the same directions and cited "Notification No. ENV/CRK/2025". (Official text not independently checked by HinduTone.)

The 2024 order, as reported by Onmanorama, was based on a communication from the State Pollution Control Board, which said the air quality index of Kerala's cities and towns had not gone below the "moderate" category on monthly averages between September 2023 and September 2024, so green crackers could be allowed for two hours. (Official text not independently checked by HinduTone.)

Green crackers carry the CSIR-NEERI green logo and a QR code; scan it before you pay.
Barium-based crackers and joined "series" crackers are banned across India.
Do not buy loose or unbranded crackers.

3. Before 8 PM and after 10 PM

Under the 2025 and 2024 orders, crackers were allowed on Deepavali only between 8 PM and 10 PM. Bursting earlier in the evening, or after 10 PM, was not allowed. In Kerala many families celebrate Deepavali early in the morning with an oil bath; crackers at dawn are not part of the permitted window in these orders.

Separately, Rule 5A(2) of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 forbids sound-emitting crackers between 10 PM and 6 AM everywhere in India.

4. Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and all 14 districts

The government order applies across the state. District collectors (as district magistrates) and the district police chiefs enforce it locally, and some districts add local instructions. We do not have separate district pages; check your collectorate and police notices for:

Thiruvananthapuram
Kollam
Pathanamthitta
Alappuzha
Kottayam
Idukki
Ernakulam (Kochi)
Thrissur
Palakkad
Malappuram
Kozhikode
Wayanad
Kannur
Kasaragod

5. Hospitals, courts, schools, places of worship

The 2025 order, as reported, says crackers must not be burst within 100 metres of hospitals, courts, educational institutions and places of worship (Kerala Kaumudi, 14 October 2025). Under the national Noise Rules, an area of at least 100 metres around hospitals, educational institutions and courts can be declared a silence zone. (Official text not independently checked by HinduTone.)

Keep away from fuel stations, LPG godowns and cracker shops.
Do not burst crackers on roads, in bus stands, railway premises or near parked vehicles.
Temple festival fireworks (vedikettu) need separate permissions and are not covered by the Deepavali window; never set off crackers near a temple crowd.

6. Cracker sales and licences

Making, storing and selling crackers needs a licence under the Explosives Act, 1884 and the Explosives Rules, 2008. Temporary Deepavali sale licences are granted by the district administration after police and fire checks, and PESO licenses manufacturers. Under the 2025 order, as reported, shops may sell only green crackers.

Buy only from a shop that displays its licence.
No online sales: the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment told e-commerce websites not to sell crackers.
Never store crackers in bulk at home.

The national baseline: what applies everywhere in India

Whatever Kerala 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.)

7. Official sites to check

News reports used on this page: Kerala Kaumudi, 14 October 2025; TeamLease RegTech, 14 October 2025; Onmanorama, 23 October 2024.

8. Safety: 12 tips for Deepavali night

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.
Burst crackers only in an open space, away from parked vehicles, dry leaves, thatched roofs, gas cylinders and electric lines.
Keep a full bucket of water and a bucket of sand nearby. Put used sparklers and duds straight into the water.
Wear close-fitting cotton clothes. Avoid loose silk or synthetic saris, dupattas and kurtas near flames.
Children must always be supervised by an adult. Give younger children only hand-held sparklers, held at arm's length.
Light crackers with a long agarbatti or incense stick, at arm's length, and step back at once. Never lean over a cracker.
Never relight a dud. Wait several minutes, then soak it in water.
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.
Keep pets indoors in a quiet room; street dogs, cows and birds are badly frightened by loud bursts.
People with asthma, heart conditions, newborns and older relatives are best kept indoors with windows closed.
For a burn, cool it under clean running water for several minutes and seek medical help. Do not apply ice, toothpaste or oil.
Know the emergency numbers: 112 (all emergencies), 101 (fire) and 108 (ambulance in most states).

9. Eco-friendly Deepavali in Kerala

Kerala's Deepavali is gentle: an early oil bath, new clothes, nilavilakku lamps, sweets with neighbours and a visit to the temple. 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.

10. Frequently asked questions

What is the firecracker timing in Kerala for Deepavali 2026?

As of 25 October 2026 we found no 2026 Kerala order. The October 2025 government order, as reported by Kerala Kaumudi on 14 October 2025, allowed green crackers on Deepavali only for two hours, from 8 PM to 10 PM. The 2024 order had the same window. Expect the 2026 order to follow; check before you burst.

Are only green crackers allowed in Kerala?

Yes. The 2025 order, as reported, allows only eco-friendly green crackers to be sold and used in Kerala, following the Pollution Control Board's advice and Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal rulings. Look for the CSIR-NEERI logo and QR code on the box.

Can I burst crackers before 8 PM or after 10 PM on Deepavali?

Not under the 2025 and 2024 orders, which allowed only 8 PM to 10 PM. The Noise Rules also forbid sound-emitting crackers from 10 PM to 6 AM anywhere in India.

Do the rules apply in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram?

Yes. The government order applies across Kerala, including Kochi (Ernakulam), Thiruvananthapuram and every other district. District collectors and police enforce it locally.

Where can I not burst crackers in Kerala?

The 2025 order, as reported, bars bursting within 100 metres of hospitals, courts, educational institutions and places of worship. Also keep away from fuel stations, cracker shops, crowded roads and parked vehicles.

What are the timings for Christmas and New Year?

The 2024 Kerala order allowed crackers from 11:55 PM to 12:30 AM on Christmas and New Year (Onmanorama, 23 October 2024). We could not read the 2025 order's text, so check the 2026 order for the year-end window.

Whom do I call in an emergency?

Call 112, the all-in-one emergency number, or 101 for the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services.

11. Deepavali night checklist for Kerala

Check whether the 2026 Kerala order has been issued, and its hours.
Buy only green crackers with a valid QR code, from a licensed shop.
Plan to burst only between 8 PM and 10 PM, unless the 2026 order says otherwise.
Pick an open spot at least 100 metres from hospitals, courts, schools and places of worship.
Keep water, sand and a first-aid kit ready; save 112 and 101 on your phone.
Keep children supervised, pets indoors and elderly relatives away from the smoke.
Soak used crackers in water and clean up the next morning.

Last verified: 25 October 2026. Editor's note (25 October 2026): no 2026 Kerala order had been published when we checked, and the 2025 order PDF would not open for us; we will update this page when the 2026 order appears.

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.