[Kitch]

Couldn't find specifics about firing a pistol at targets on your own property. Could someone point me in the right direction . I live in kent county outside the city limits of Felton.
Thanks
Ron

[MrCoolDale]

You raise a fantastic question. My guess (emphasis on guess) would be that you need some kind of permit for that. I believe there is a member on here that has a range setup in his yard (huge property), hopefully he can shed some light on this subject.

Also, this is an informal bump.

[gheart]

I too would like to know the answer to this question. I live in the middle of 6 acres of woods..literally surrounded by a forest. The closest neighbor resides in front of my property(north side of property), probably about 600 feet away. Then the other neighbors live a few football fields away, through the woods on the east side of my property. I had planned on clearing out a trail in the woods, on the southside of my property behind my house, and buying some targets like similar to these, but for the caliber of gun I will be using : http://www.walmart.com/ip/Do-All-Outdoo ... e/21169599


But then I started thinking of the legality of it. People do hunt in the fields/woods across the street, and sometimes I hear recreational shooting from over there. There also is a state cop that lives in one of the houses I mentioned being a few football fields through the woods, where I've heard shots come from as well. I don't know if it was him, or another neighbor, but coming from that general direction. So it seems like nobody really minds around here. We are in the cut...but of course I don't want to be doing anything illegal and have been trying to find an answer to the legality of this incase someone decided to complain or made a phone call to the authorities with concerns due to hearing several shots

[astro_wanabe]

Goes without saying (but I'll say it anyways) IANAL.

Most state-level restrictions on discharging firearms seem to have to do with hunting or threatening/shooting people. As long as you aren't frightening, threatening, or shooting animals / people there's a bit less to worry about.

After a (very) brief search the only state-level restrictions I found that are not directly related to hunting / threatening people are a prohibition on "frightening" migratory animals and a prohibition on shooting within 15 yards of a state-owned road:

7 Del. C. § 717 Frightening or harassing migratory birds; penalties.

Any person who shall frighten or harass migratory birds while at rest on the property of another by use of a rifle, shotgun or any other weapon, shall be guilty of a class C environmental misdemeanor.

7 Del. C. § 719 Discharge of firearms on or near public roads and public rights-of-way; penalty.

(a) No person, except in lawful self-defense, shall discharge any firearm while on or within 15 yards of a public road or right-of-way unless it is a road or right-of-way within an area controlled by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the Department of Agriculture of the State or the United States Department of the Interior and is designated by the respective department as an area open to hunting or trapping.

(b) No person shall shoot at any wild bird or wild animal while it is on a public road, nor shall any person shoot across a public road or right-of-way at any wild bird or wild animal.

(c) Whoever violates this section shall be guilty of a class C environmental misdemeanor.

Obviously, hunting animals and making physical / verbal threats against people are pretty highly regulated.

Note that the discharge of weapons falls outside of state preemption, meaning that counties/towns/cities can regulate it. You should double-check the local/county codes for your area. Some of the local restrictions can be found in this document, near the end: http://www.deloc.org/docs/Delaware_Firearms_Laws.pdf

Also, you may need work / building permits of some sort depending on what sort of "improvements" to the land you plan on making but I really have no idea about that.

[David]

As noted above, this is a county and/or local town issue. I live in Sussex and its not uncommon to have a small range in your back yard as long as you are outside town limits and have a little land to work with. Nearly every city/town has restrictions against discharging within their limits.

[Markus]

There is no permit or regulation that I know of. Do your neighbors shoot? Around my house there's constant gunfire. As long as you follow common sense safety rules there shouldn't be a problem. How big is your property? How big is your back stop and what's behind that?

[Lfod/Dtom]

I live in Kent county,a neighbor target shoots all the time,when I first moved in it made me a little nervous when my young kids were out in the yard playing so I called the DSP to find out what the law was and was told as long as it wasn't within a 100ft. of a dwelling it was legal.

[Kitch]

That's why I love this website, thanks for all the helpful responses. Neighbors definitely shoot but not the most law abiding citizen, houses are couple hundred feet from shooting area, septic mound is the back drop with a 100 acres of seasonal crops behind that and nearest road back there is about a mile away. So I should be good. Got a buddy that's DSP and as soon as he gets back to me ill let you know what he says.

[Mr.Skellington]

That's why I love this website, thanks for all the helpful responses. Neighbors definitely shoot but not the most law abiding citizen, houses are couple hundred feet from shooting area, septic mound is the back drop with a 100 acres of seasonal crops behind that and nearest road back there is about a mile away. So I should be good. Got a buddy that's DSP and as soon as he gets back to me ill let you know what he says.

A septic mound backdrop? I just imagined the opening scene from the Beverly Hillbilly's. That would be one foul smelling geyser of black gold

[gheart]

black gold

...Texas Tea