(A) Nothing in this section shall regulate, control or preempt the use of firearms for self-defense which shall be solely regulated and controlled by M.S. §§ 609.06 and 609.65, and any applicable state statutes, as they may be amended from time to time.
(B) A FIREARM is defined as any gun from which any projectile is discharged or propelled by means of an explosion, excluding devices used exclusively for the firing of stud cartridges, explosive rivets or similar industrial apparatus, instruments or equipment used by construction personnel, licensed physicians or veterinarians in the course or scope of their professions, and excluding the use of .22 caliber dummy launchers with blank cartridges for training hunting dogs.
(C) Within the city, it shall be unlawful for any person to discharge out of doors upon the land of another, including all land owned by the city, any firearm, without having, in possession, written permission from the owner or tenant of the land to discharge a firearm thereon, which must include the full name, address, phone number and signature of the landowner or lessee as well as the full name of the person given permission to hunt or shoot.
(D) It is unlawful for any person to discharge any firearm in any place or manner so as to endanger any person or property.
(E) It is unlawful for any person to discharge a firearm in a city park, on any school property or in any property located in an area zoned commercial or industrial, with the exception of police officers acting in the scope of their lawful authority.
(F) It is unlawful to discharge a firearm across or within the right-of-way of any public road or highway.
(G) Firearms may not be discharged:
(1) Except by the landowner and his or her immediate family in residence on the property or in the presence of the landowner or lessee of the land, or with the written permission of the landowner or lessee of the land. The person authorized to hunt or shoot must have in his or her possession the written permission which must include the full name, address, phone number and signature of the landowner or lessee as well as the full name of the person given permission to hunt or shoot;
(2) Within 500 feet of any residence or accessory building on a parcel under separate ownership from the parcel on which the firearm is discharged, unless the person has written permission from the land owner as required in division (G)(1) above; or
(3) Before 9:00 a.m. or after one-half hour before sunset, except when hunting game or non-game animals in compliance with the requirements of the state’s hunting restrictions and requirements, M.S. Ch. 97B, as it may be amended from time to time.
(H) No firearm shall be discharged in a manner reasonably expected to cause a projectile to cross the boundary of a parcel not under common ownership with the parcel from which the projectile is fired, unless the person has written permission from the land owner as required in division (G)(1) above. The shooter is responsible to take into consideration prior to discharging a firearm the angle of discharge, the type of projectile and potential distance of its travel unbroken by cover, the land topography, knowledge of parcel boundaries and the field of fire or background beyond the target.
(I) It is unlawful to discharge a firearm while under the influence of a controlled substance or under the influence of alcohol.
(J) Individuals discharging firearms must be adults or must be under the supervision of a responsible adult, with the exception of juveniles 16 and over, during the hunting season, who meet the legal requirements to hunt according to the state’s hunting regulations. Nothing in this division (J) shall prohibit juveniles from hunting in compliance with the requirements of the state’s hunting restrictions and requirements, M.S. Ch. 97B, as it may be amended from time to time.
(K) Other than for allowed hunting, the discharge of firearms on a parcel or contiguous parcels under common ownership is limited to a maximum of one day every two weeks, not on consecutive days, a maximum of 50 rounds per day and a maximum of one hour per day.
(Prior Code, § 14-1) (Ord. 1997-48, passed 1-15-2002; Ord. 04-2016, passed 4-19-2016; Ord. 01-2019, passed 5-21-2019; Ord. 05-2020, passed 9-15-2020) Penalty, see § 10.99
Statutory reference:
Authority to regulate discharge of firearms, see M.S. § 471.633
Hunting restrictions and requirements, see M.S. Ch. 97B