1. It is unlawful for any person to manufacture, sell, offer for sale, ship or cause to be shipped into or within the state of Missouri except as herein provided any item of fireworks, without first having secured the required applicable permit as a manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, annual retailer, or seasonal retailer from the state fire marshal and applicable federal permit or license. Possession of said permit is a condition precedent to manufacturing, selling or offering for sale, shipping or causing to be shipped any fireworks into the state of Missouri, except as herein provided. This provision applies to nonresidents as well as residents of the state of Missouri.
2. The state fire marshal has the authority and is authorized and directed to issue permits for the sale of fireworks. No permit shall be issued to a person under the age of eighteen years. All permits except for seasonal retailers shall be for the calendar year or any fraction thereof and shall expire on the thirty-first day of December of each year.
3. Permits issued must be displayed in the permit holder's place of business. No permit provided for herein shall be transferable nor shall a person operate under a permit issued to another person or under a permit issued for another location. Manufacturer, wholesaler, annual retailer, and distributor permit holders operating out of multiple locations shall obtain a permit for each location.
4. Failure to make application for a permit by May thirty-first of the calendar year may result in the fire marshal's refusal to issue a permit to the permittee or applicant for such calendar year.
5. Any false statement or declaration made on a permit application may result in the state fire marshal's refusal to issue such permit to the requesting person for a period of time not to exceed three years.
6. The state fire marshal is authorized to assess permit and licensing fees for permits and licenses:
(1) Manufacturer, a fee of one thousand dollars per calendar year;
(2) Distributor, a fee of one thousand dollars per calendar year;
(3) Wholesaler, a fee of five hundred dollars per calendar year;
(4) Annual retailer, a fee of seven hundred fifty dollars per calendar year per sales location;
(5) Seasonal retailer, a fee of one hundred fifty dollars per calendar year per sales location;
(6) Outdoor fireworks display permit, a fee of one hundred dollars per calendar year per location;
(7) Display before a proximate audience, a fee of one hundred dollars per calendar year per location;
(8) Display operator license, a fee of one hundred dollars for a three-year license;
(9) Pyrotechnic effects operator license, a fee of one hundred dollars for a three-year license.
7. A holder of a manufacturer's permit shall not be required to have any additional permits in order to sell to distributors, wholesalers, annual retailers or seasonal retailers, or to sell display, or articles pyrotechnic.
8. A holder of a distributor's permit shall not be required to have any additional permits in order to sell to wholesalers, annual retailers, seasonal retailers or to sell display fireworks, or articles pyrotechnic.
9. A holder of an annual retailer permit shall not be required to have any additional permit in order to sell consumer fireworks at retail during the fireworks season from such annual retailer's permanent structure.
10. (1) All fees collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited as follows:
(a) Eighty percent into the fire education fund created under section 320.094 ; and
(b) Twenty percent into the cigarette fire safety standard and firefighter protection act fund created under section 320.371 .
(2) Any person engaged in more than one permit classification shall pay one permit fee based upon the permit classification yielding the highest amount of revenue.
11. The state fire marshal is charged with the enforcement of the provisions of sections 320.106 to 320.161 and may call upon any state, county or city peace officer for assistance in the enforcement of the provisions of sections 320.106 to 320.161 . The state fire marshal may promulgate rules pursuant to the requirements of this section and chapter 536 necessary to carry out his or her responsibilities under this act including rules requiring training, examination, and licensing of licensed display operators and pyrotechnic effects operators engaging in or responsible for the handling and use of display fireworks and articles pyrotechnic. The test shall incorporate the rules of the state fire marshal, which shall be based upon nationally recognized standards. No rule or portion of a rule promulgated pursuant to this chapter shall become effective unless it has been promulgated pursuant to the provisions of chapter 536 .
12. The state fire marshal, upon notification by the department of revenue, may withhold permits from applicants upon evidence that all state sales taxes for the preceding year or years have not been paid; except, this subsection shall not apply if an applicant is pursuing any proper remedy at law challenging the amount, collection, or assessment of any sales tax.
13. A holder of a distributor, wholesaler, or annual retailer's permit shall be required to operate out of a permanent structure in compliance with all applicable building and fire regulations in the city or county in which said person is operating a fireworks business. Seasonal retail permit locations shall be in compliance with all applicable building and fire regulations. The applicant may be subject to a fire safety inspection by the state fire marshal based upon promulgated rules and regulations adopted by the state fire marshal.
14. It is unlawful for any manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, or annual retailer to sell consumer fireworks to a seasonal retailer who has not acquired an appropriate permit from the state fire marshal for the current permit period. A seasonal retailer shall acquire and present the appropriate permit from the state fire marshal before any manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler or annual retailer is allowed to sell consumer fireworks to such seasonal retailer, provided that such seasonal retailer is purchasing the consumer fireworks for resale in this state.
15. The state fire marshal and the marshal's deputies may conduct inspections of any premises and all portions of buildings where fireworks are stored, manufactured, kept or being offered for sale. All persons selling, offering for sale, barter, gift, exchange, or offer thereof any fireworks shall cooperate fully with the state fire marshal and the marshal's deputies during any such inspection. This inspection shall be performed during normal business hours.
16. In addition to any other penalty, any person who manufactures, sells, offers for sale, ships or causes to be shipped into or caused to be shipped into the state of Missouri, for use in Missouri, any items of fireworks without first having the required applicable permit shall be assessed a civil penalty of up to a one thousand dollar fine for each day of operation up to a maximum of ten thousand dollars.