Target Practice Laws in California
- Shooters must provide their own ammunition to shoot in public lands. California also stipulates that shooters provide their own targets, such as cans and target maps. Shooters must remove these materials from the parks when the park is closed for the evening. Park rangers and public land regulators routinely make sure that litter is not left in these public parks. Failure to remove target materials from a park can lead to an individual's prosecution for violating the state's local littering laws.
- In the state of California, shooters cannot use glass objects for targets. Shooters also cannot shoot or deface trees or plants in these public parks. Part of these laws are also under the jurisdiction in the federal law of 43 C.F.R. Subpart 8365. Under this law, patrons of public park cannot deface trees, rocks, state or federal buildings on these public lands, such as by putting a target on a tree, mountainside or building.
- A shooter on public land cannot perform target practices within a 150 yard radius of any campground area, occupied dwellings or public livestock. The public is usually told upon entering a public park that shooters are allowed to shoot in the park. However, shooters must follow the radius rules to make sure no one could be hypothetically injured or any property damaged by their actions.
- The Bureau of Land Management advises shooters who wish to target practice on a specific day to consult a local sheriff. The reason is that the sheriff may be able to inform the shooter about any specific regulations or seasonal laws that state the shooter cannot target practice on that day. Also, sheriffs can help the shooter by telling him what areas are excellent and out of the way from civilians in a park, depending on how many people are at the park that day.