EASTON, Pa. --The father and son from Edison knew they were about to break the law. But they didn't care.

The pair was wheeling a shopping cart filled with nearly $300 worth of fireworks out of Phantom Fireworks in Easton, Pa., and loading them into their Mercedes to drive home to Middlesex County Friday afternoon.

The assortment of sparklers, aerial fireworks and other pyrotechnics will be their contribution to a friend's Fourth of July party on Saturday, they said. Though they asked that their names not be used, the pair said they were confident no New Jersey police would stop them from celebrating the holiday with a bang.

"Everybody does it," said the father, 55, surrounded by cars with New Jersey license plates in the parking lot at the crowded fireworks store. "Usually, (the police) look the other way."

Though New Jersey residents can legally buy fireworks in Pennsylvania, they are breaking the law as soon as they cross the Delaware River back into New Jersey.

PLUS: Where to watch fireworks in New Jersey

New Jersey is one of three states that ban all consumer fireworks. Residents risk fines and jail time if they are caught in possession of bottle rockets, firecrackers, Roman candles or any other pyrotechnics within New Jersey's borders. Even handheld sparklers are banned.

But that doesn't stop many New Jerseyans from making the annual Independence Day trek across the Delaware River to a string of Pennsylvania stores along the border.

Several stores off Route 78 in Easton were bustling Friday. The parking lots of Phantom Fireworks, TNT Fireworks and Sky King Fireworks were all filled with cars with New Jersey license plates.

Several customers walking out with cartloads of pyrotechnics said they were aware backyard fireworks are illegal in New Jersey without a permit. But they were not concerned about getting caught or fined.

Jeff Bell, manager of Phantom Fireworks, said about 70 percent of his customers are from New Jersey and New York. Under Pennsylvania law, out-of-state residents are permitted to buy any of the store's wide assortment of fireworks, from $5.99 sparklers to the $799.99 Phantom Brothers Jumbo Assortment fireworks show.

The other 30 percent of Bell's customers are locals from Pennsylvania, who are restricted to buying ground and handheld sparklers under the state's law, he said.

Customers must show their driver's license identifying their state at the door.

This year, business is booming, thanks in part to the weather, Bell said.

"We definitely consider it up for the day, up for the year," Bell said.

Easing Restrictions

Fireworks manufacturers and retailers have been calling for New Jersey and the other two states with bans -- Massachusetts and Delaware -- to loosen their fireworks restrictions.

New York State recently dropped part of its ban on fireworks. Starting this year, New York counties can opt to allow the sale of some small fireworks, including sparklers and spinning pyrotechnics that stay on the ground. But all fireworks remain banned in New York City.

Georgia also relaxed its fireworks laws this year, allowing the sale of aerial fireworks to the public.

New Jersey will eventually ease up on its fireworks ban, said William Weimer, vice president of Phantom Fireworks, an Ohio-based chain with 1,200 retailers nationwide.

"It probably is inevitable," Weimer said. "It's a matter of time."

Sooner or later, lawmakers in New Jersey will realize they are losing out on the sales tax revenue the state could get by allowing the sale and use of fireworks within its borders, Weimer said.

Nationwide, fireworks sales are expected to surpass $725 million this year, compared to $600 million in 2006, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association, a nationwide industry group representing fireworks companies.

"With the liberalization of consumer fireworks laws and record-breaking growth in backyard fireworks usage, the number of fireworks-related injuries and fires has dramatically declined," said Julie Heckman, the group's executive director.

An estimated 10,500 fireworks injuries were treated in U.S. hospitals last year, the majority of them in June and July, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. About half of the injuries involved children or young adults under age 20.

'Leave the fireworks home'

State Police issued a reminder this week that fireworks remain illegal in New Jersey, even if other states have eased up on their bans.

Anyone found possessing or setting off fireworks in New Jersey can be found guilty of a disorderly persons offense with a maximum fine of $500 and up to 30 days in jail, according to the state Department of Community Affairs.

Selling or intending to sell fireworks in New Jersey is a fourth degree crime with fines up to $7,500 and up to 18 months in jail, according to the law.

The only fireworks displays allowed in New Jersey are shows by professionals with permits, the law says.

There will be an additional 120 New Jersey State Police troopers patrolling over the holiday weekend looking for illegal fireworks, speeding drivers, drunk drivers and other problems, officials said.

"If you plan to spend the weekend in New Jersey, leave the fireworks home," the State Police said in a statement.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find NJ.com on Facebook.