Chapter 5.04
GUN CLUBS*

Sections:

5.04.010    Regulations.

*State law reference(s) – Firearms and dangerous weapons, RCW 9.41.010 et seq.; discharge of firearms, RCW 9.41.230.

5.04.010 Regulations.

A. The discharge of firearms and other weapons of similar character shall be lawful if done in connection with any group or club, hereafter called a gun club, which is organized for the purpose of providing for its members an opportunity to engage in skeet or trap shooting, and which complies with the conditions of this section.

B. The shooting may be done only on land owned or leased by the gun club. If the gun club is composed of members of an employee organization, written permission of the employer for use of its land shall suffice.

C. The range where shooting is to occur must be situated so there can be no danger to the general public from misdirected or accidentally discharged weapons.

D. Each gun club must keep posted with the police department of the city a schedule approved by the chief of police or his designated representative of the hours and days during which shooting will take place. Shooting will not be permitted at other than the posted times without prior written permission of the chief of police or his designated representative.

E. Shooting shall be restricted to gun club members and their guests only. Each gun club shall issue some form of identification to each member and guest which must be carried by the member and guest at all times when engaged in shooting at his or another club’s location. The identification card shall be produced for inspection upon demand of any officer of the police department upon the premises of any gun club during the hours that shooting is taking place.

F. Shooting shall be restricted to those districts zoned MA, RA, I1, and I2 or their equivalents. There shall be no shooting within 300 feet of any occupied dwelling or within 400 feet of any school playground.

G. Failure to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter shall result in revocation of the gun club’s rights and privileges granted in this chapter. Each gun club shall be responsible for policing its own membership to ensure compliance with this chapter.

H. The chief of police is hereby granted the power to enforce the provisions of this chapter. All decisions of the chief of police, including but not limited to whether reasonable shooting hours are being observed, or whether public safety is being adequately protected, shall be final. Any decision of the chief of police requiring a gun club to discontinue operations because of alleged violations of any of the provisions of this chapter may be appealed to the city council by filing written notice of appeal with the city clerk. The city council shall set a date for hearing which shall be not more than 30 days following receipt of the appeal by the city clerk. Between the time of the decision of the chief of police appealed from and the final disposition of the appeal, the gun club shall not engage in any shooting activities. All decisions of the city council shall be final and no appeal may be taken therefrom.

(Ord. No. 1006, § 1; Ord. No. 1768, § 1; Ord. No. 4355, § 12 (Exh. L), 3-3-20. Formerly Code 1986, § 5.08.010)