Article 53C.

Sport Shooting Range Protection Act of 1997.

§ 14-409.45.  Definitions.

The following definitions apply in this Article:

(1) Law enforcement organization. - A State or national organization whose membership is composed of sworn law enforcement officers, including a regional or local chapter of such a State or national organization.

(2) Law enforcement shooting range. - A sport shooting range owned or operated by a State, federal, or local law enforcement agency, or by a law enforcement organization.

(3) Person. - An individual, proprietorship, partnership, corporation, club, or other legal entity.

(4) Sport shooting range or range. - An area designed and operated for the use of rifles, shotguns, pistols, silhouettes, skeet, trap, black powder, or any other similar sport shooting.

(5) Substantial change in use. - The current primary use of the range no longer represents the activity previously engaged in at the range.  (1997-465, s. 1; 2025-81, s. 7.)

§ 14-409.46.  Sport shooting range protection.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Article, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person who owns, operates, or uses a sport shooting range in this State shall not be subject to civil liability or criminal prosecution in any matter relating to noise or noise pollution resulting from the operation or use of the range if the range is in compliance with any noise control laws or ordinances that applied to the range and its operation at the time the range began operation.

(b) A person who owns, operates, or uses a sport shooting range is not subject to an action for nuisance on the basis of noise or noise pollution, and a State court shall not enjoin the use or operation of a range on the basis of noise or noise pollution, if the range is in compliance with any noise control laws or ordinances that applied to the range and its operation at the time the range began operation.

(c) Rules adopted by any State department or agency for limiting levels of noise in terms of decibel level that may occur in the outdoor atmosphere shall not apply to a sport shooting range that was in operation prior to the adoption of the rule.

(d) A person who acquires title to real property adversely affected by the use of property with a permanently located and improved sport shooting range constructed and initially operated prior to the time the person acquires title shall not maintain a nuisance action on the basis of noise or noise pollution against the person who owns the range to restrain, enjoin, or impede the use of the range. If there is a substantial change in use of the range after the person acquires title, the person may maintain a nuisance action if the action is brought within one year of the date of a substantial change in use. This section does not prohibit actions for negligence or recklessness in the operation of the range or by a person using the range.

(e) A sport shooting range that is operated and is not in violation of existing law at the time of the enactment of an ordinance shall be permitted to continue in operation even if the operation of the sport shooting range at a later date does not conform to the new ordinance or an amendment to an existing ordinance, provided there has been no substantial change in use.  (1997-465, s. 1; 2015-195, s. 5(a); 2025-81, s. 7.)

§ 14-409.46A.  Additional protection for relocated law enforcement shooting range.

Notwithstanding any provision of law or any other provision of this Article, for any law enforcement shooting range that operates in the same location for at least 25 years, relocates to a new location within the same county, and has no substantial change in use, the following shall apply:

(1) The provisions of this Article shall be applied to the law enforcement shooting range based on the date the range began operation in the original location.

(2) A local government may not prohibit the law enforcement shooting range from conducting night operations for law enforcement training purposes if the range provides at least 48 hours' written notice to the local government of the date and time the night operations will be conducted.

(3) A local government may not require the law enforcement shooting range to comply with a setback line of more than 100 feet.  (2025-81, s. 7.)

§ 14-409.47.  Application of Article.

Except as otherwise provided in this Article, this Article does not prohibit a local government from regulating the location and construction of a sport shooting range after September 1, 1997. (1997-465, s. 1; 2015-195, s. 5(b).)