Residents planning to use fireworks this Fourth of July should know the rules differ between the Village and Town of New Glarus. Town residents have until the end of today to submit a permit application for a July 4 display under the town's five-business-day requirement.

New Glarus-area residents planning to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks should be aware that purchasing fireworks in Wisconsin does not automatically make them legal to use. State law, along with separate ordinances adopted by the Village and Town of New Glarus, regulates when, where and how many fireworks may be used.

For residents living in the Town of New Glarus, time is running out. The town's ordinance requires applications for fireworks permits to be submitted at least five business days before the requested date of use. For anyone hoping to legally launch regulated fireworks on Saturday, July 4, that means an application must be submitted by the close of business today. Once a permit is approved, the permit holder also must provide copies to the Green County Sheriff's Office and the New Glarus Fire District at least two days before the authorized display.