The state of Iowa prohibits the sale of all firecrackers, bottle rockets and all other explosives, so it’s no secret that Iowa residents travel far distances to purchase fireworks.

“It’s hard to tell for sure, but probably 50 percent of our customers are probably from Iowa,” said Pamela Kelly, assistant manager of Hale Fireworks in Eagleville, Mo.

Iowa residents often make the trip to Missouri and South Dakota, where lighting off fireworks is legal. In South Dakota, it’s only legal to sell to South Dakota residents from June 27 to July 5.

Ron Westeen, senior in accounting and assistant manager at Zorts Fireworks in North Sioux City, S.D., said before June 27, all of their customers were from places other than South Dakota.

Iowa is one of five states that only allow wire or wood stick sparklers and novelty items like snakes.

Mark Shanahan, general merchandising manager at Hy-Vee, 640 Lincoln Way, said they sold bamboo and metal stick sparklers starting a few days before Memorial Day.

Many of the large explosive items that aren’t sold in Iowa are easy to get a hold of in bordering states with more lenient laws.

“The only thing we can’t sell are cherry bombs,” Kelly said. “We sell a lot of bottle rockets and night display stuff.”

Zorts Fireworks is the largest firework store in South Dakota, and it has more than 800 items in the store, Westeen said. One of the most popular items is the 500-gram keg, he said.

“It shoots multiple shots, 20 to 30 times, with just one fuse,” Westeen said. “It lasts a minute or so.”

Two weeks before the Fourth of July, business will be booming and the parking lots will be full, Kelly said.

Most of the large firework stores in Missouri and South Dakota are located near its borders. Both Kelly and Westeen said they see customers from all over. Minnesota and Illinois also enforce stiff laws of firework sales.

Kelly said she didn’t understand why fireworks are illegal in Iowa.

“Are they going to arrest the whole state?” she asked.

Ames residents will settle for sparklers this Fourth of July but should still be cautious around them.

“Sparklers burn hot, they’re almost more dangerous than fireworks,” Westeen said.