Posted: 4/18/2009 11:51:05 AM EDT
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what are the laws in GA about shooting in one's backyard? Or would this fall under county law?
Does anyone here have a shooting range on their own property? |
| Once my 22LR can comes in I am going live with my backyard range in unincorporated Cobb County. As far as I can find the only state requirement is the distance from a road as DKing has already mentioned. In Cobb County the only ordinance regarding discharge is you cannot shoot on or over someone else's property without their written permission. |
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it's distance from a roadway not property line. OOPS 
The new Decatur County Ordinance passed today. I don't know the specific wording yet, but it does specify PROPERTY LINE.... Edit~ I know it doesn't apply to Hall Co, but..... Page 10, at the bottom... http://bainbridgega.com/decatur/NuisanceOrdinance4.pdf |
| Check with the code enforcement officer of your county's sheriff's office. Assuming your county has one.... if not the sheriff would probably have jurisdiction and would likely be the one to tell you to cease and desist if you were violating anything, so check with him. They/he ~should~ be able to let you know if you are breaking any local/county/state ordinances/laws by shooting in your backyard. Every county is different, so check locally and avoid a hassle. |
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Check with the code enforcement officer of your county's sheriff's office. Assuming your county has one.... if not the sheriff would probably have jurisdiction and would likely be the one to tell you to cease and desist if you were violating anything, so check with him. They/he ~should~ be able to let you know if you are breaking any local/county/state ordinances/laws by shooting in your backyard. Every county is different, so check locally and avoid a hassle. I've had less than stellar results from asking law enforcement about legalities. Usually you get what they want the law to say or THINK the law says instead of what the law actually is. In reality it's no different than asking a random person walking down the road. |
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Check with the code enforcement officer of your county's sheriff's office. Assuming your county has one.... if not the sheriff would probably have jurisdiction and would likely be the one to tell you to cease and desist if you were violating anything, so check with him. They/he ~should~ be able to let you know if you are breaking any local/county/state ordinances/laws by shooting in your backyard. Every county is different, so check locally and avoid a hassle. I've had less than stellar results from asking law enforcement about legalities. Usually you get what they want the law to say or THINK the law says instead of what the law actually is. In reality it's no different than asking a random person walking down the road. I know exactly what you mean. I had an extended argument with the local LE about carrying my AR when training up for road marching. I informed them that I can carry anywhere they can because I'm .mil, and they tried to tell me that it only applied if I was operating in an official capacity for the GAANG. I told them they are full of shit and they better read 16-11-130 one more time. Yeah, I know many don't like the idea of a guy walking by with a 16" AR and a 40lb. assault pack, but the law is the law and I don't give a damn what the sheeple think personally. And BTW, the local LE and myself are pals nowadays. I just had to xplain a few things to em. 
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Check with the code enforcement officer of your county's sheriff's office. Assuming your county has one.... if not the sheriff would probably have jurisdiction and would likely be the one to tell you to cease and desist if you were violating anything, so check with him. They/he ~should~ be able to let you know if you are breaking any local/county/state ordinances/laws by shooting in your backyard. Every county is different, so check locally and avoid a hassle. I've had less than stellar results from asking law enforcement about legalities. Usually you get what they want the law to say or THINK the law says instead of what the law actually is. In reality it's no different than asking a random person walking down the road. I guess I needed to be a bit more explicit. Have them quote you from the code book any items that pertain to private shooting ranges on your own property. Ideally send them the request per registered mail so they know you mean business, and ask them to reply in writing. Then keep it in you records for future reference. It may not keep you out of jail, but it will show a certain amount of "due diligence" if it ever hits the fan. FWIW: often there are distances involved concerning roadways, property lines, AND neighboring structures! The only thing that is guaranteed is that each county and municipality will differ according to what the local elected officials deem "prudent." You NEED to ask locally to get the right answer. Also make sure you have a substantial backstop to keep from turning a neighbor's roof into a sieve a mile or so behind your intended target..... 
Best of luck in your endeavor. Keep it safe and keep it legal! |
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last i heard (and don't take it as advise) is that 150 from a roadway is all you need in Georgia. Just remember, you are liable for every bullet regardless of what the law stipulates, so make sure you know what's behind your target for a long long long way and shoot safe.
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it's distance from a roadway not property line. OOPS
The new Decatur County Ordinance passed today. I don't know the specific wording yet, but it does specify PROPERTY LINE.... Edit~ I know it doesn't apply to Hall Co, but..... Page 10, at the bottom... http://bainbridgega.com/decatur/NuisanceOrdinance4.pdf So, and I reading this correctly, that you are good to go if you are on more than 5 acres? Less than 5 acres is not likely to have any spot that is 200 feet from the property line. |
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it's distance from a roadway not property line. OOPS
The new Decatur County Ordinance passed today. I don't know the specific wording yet, but it does specify PROPERTY LINE.... Edit~ I know it doesn't apply to Hall Co, but..... Page 10, at the bottom... http://bainbridgega.com/decatur/NuisanceOrdinance4.pdf So, and I reading this correctly, that you are good to go if you are on more than 5 acres? Less than 5 acres is not likely to have any spot that is 200 feet from the property line. SNIP...., or within two hundred (200) linear feet from any property line in a property of less than five (5) acres
What a poorly written ordinance! I take that to mean that if you own more than 5 acres, ie: 5.0001, then you can shoot within 6 inches of your property line! 
As I was typing the above our code enforcement officer returned my call and gave me the rules and regulations as they apply to Morgan county. Here are the major points without the "legalsleaze," as I understood them: Must be more than 150 feet from public roadway. (state law) Must not shoot onto or across another person's property. (state law) Must be more than 250 feet from any residence, church, business, or public meeting place. (county ord.) Unlawful to discharge on properties less than 5 acres. (county ord.) Unlawful to discharge on Sundays except in accordance with GA 16-11-105. (county ord.) 
He looked, and found out that GA 16-11-105 (which states that is unlawful to discharge a firearm on Sunday) was repealed in 2005, BUT, according to this officer, it is quasi-illegal to shoot on Sundays in Morgan County without prior approval by the sheriff's office!!!!!!!!! 
He felt that since GA had repealed this code section, it might make enforcing the county ord. difficult in the eyes of a judge. He also stated that the only time that he would even consider writing a citation was if a neighbor was being pissy, but even then he'd do his best to resolve things without any paperwork....
That just plain sux though, now I have to worry every time I go shooting in my back yard! Makes me wish I had never called to find out how legal my "backyard range" is. After all, since I work 6 days/week Sunday is my only day available to go out back and pop a few caps.....what a crock!!! He'll be stopping by the shop in the next day or two (I've got to do some jewelry repair for him) and I plan to peruse that Sunday ord. thing with my own eyes, to look for a loophole...... Again I say..... check locally to find out what kind of BS you might have to put up with in the county in which you reside...... 
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| Unfortunately, the power to limit or prohibit discharge is an exception to the state preemption law. Some counties are very restrictive about it. GCO is trying to get this changed. See HB 182, currently pending. |
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I have a co-worker that purchased a house a year ago with about 5 acres. He spent about $800 on four dump truck loads of clean fill dirt to build a backstop. It’s a great setup; the longest range we have is about 100yds from edge of his property to the backstop.
We have a NRA licensed instructor as one of our regulars, as well as a former Marine Corp shooting instructor. We try to get together once a month to shoot each other’s stuff, and see what new toys the others have acquired. So if you’re ever at the corner of hwy 155 & 138 on a Saturday and hear gunfire, it’s us. 
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Unfortunately, the power to limit or prohibit discharge is an exception to the state preemption law. Some counties are very restrictive about it. GCO is trying to get this changed. See HB 182, currently pending. OK, OK, OK...... I guess I've put off joining GCO long enough...... 
Where do I go to give them my money? Any group that is working to restore my liberties on my own durn property has earned my monetary support!
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Unfortunately, the power to limit or prohibit discharge is an exception to the state preemption law. Some counties are very restrictive about it. GCO is trying to get this changed. See HB 182, currently pending. OK, OK, OK...... I guess I've put off joining GCO long enough......
Where do I go to give them my money? Any group that is working to restore my liberties on my own durn property has earned my monetary support! Join Us! Online or by mail available . . . 
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BTW...where I would like to shoot is in Hall County. I found the local laws here: http://www.municode.com/Resources/ClientCode_List.asp?cn=Hall%20County&sid=10&cid=5369 , but I can't find anything specifically about discharging a firearm... Hey I'm right next door in White Co. Come over to my house some time and we can shoot. |
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Must be more than 250 feet from any residence, church, business, or public meeting place. (county ord.) If it's your own house, is that excluded? The code officer dropped by the shop today and I looked in his code books. It does NOT say that your own house is exempt, but he claimed that the ordinance was *meant* to be read that way (that your own structures should be excluded). He also stated that since GA 16-11-105 had been repealed that it nullified his ability to cite you on the no Sunday shooting. Unfortunately the code read that it was unlawful to discharge on a Sunday except as provided by GA 16-11-105. This says to me that it is unlawful to discharge on Sunday with no exceptions, since the state law no longer exists to provide you with the exceptions. With my distrust of all things governmental, my gut tells me that as long as "they" like you, shooting on a Sunday from your back deck is no problem. However, should you piss someone off, it could easily turn into a "we'll just let the judge sort this one out," which means that even if you win, you have lost to the extant that it costs money to hire a lawyer to get you out of it. Time to fall back on my calming mantra to reduce my blood pressure:
Government is my friend, I like my government.  Government is my friend, I like my government. Government is my friend, I like my government. Government..........
 Yum, tasty government kool-aid!!!
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Unfortunately, the power to limit or prohibit discharge is an exception to the state preemption law. Some counties are very restrictive about it. GCO is trying to get this changed. See HB 182, currently pending. OK, OK, OK...... I guess I've put off joining GCO long enough......
Where do I go to give them my money? Any group that is working to restore my liberties on my own durn property has earned my monetary support! Join Us! Online or by mail available . . .
A check will be in tomorrow's mail!!!
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