Pennsylvania: Users of State Shooting Ranges Need License or Permit

Brian McCombie

14 years ago

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Starting this April 1, Pennsylvania shooters who want to use a public shooting range on State Game Lands must have a $30 range use permit, unless they already hold a Pennsylvania hunting or trapping license.

Previously, “hunting license fees were used to keep these ranges open to the public, even for those shooters who did not have licenses,” the Centre Daily Times reported. “This new permit ends the fee-free method of operation.”

“Over the past few years, the Game Commission has made large investments into its 29 State Game Land shooting ranges across this Commonwealth,” said Carl Roe, Game Commission executive director. “These investments have taken the form of lead remediation, safety barrier reconstruction, shooting range redesign and other related projects. These investments came at a high cost, but kept many shooting ranges open and available to the public.”

Now, it was time for the public to also ante up. The new permit requirement helped the Game Commission accomplish two goals: “having unlicensed persons contribute toward the cost of maintaining the ranges, and better quantifying and controlling the use of shooting ranges,” the Centre Daily noted. “The regulation also prohibits all other
target shooting from taking place on State Game Lands, except at designated ranges.”

According to the Game Commission’s website, there are currently 29 shooting ranges operating on state game lands.

Source: Centre Daily Times 4/3/11:

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