N.Y. General Business Law Section 150
Shooting ranges


1.

In any action or proceeding commenced against an owner or user of a shooting range where one or more causes of action asserts a claim based on noise or noise pollution resulting from the inherent shooting activity on such shooting range, it shall be an affirmative defense that, at the time of the commencement of the action or proceeding, the shooting range is in compliance with any applicable noise control laws or ordinances, or, if the applicable noise control laws or ordinances have no legal force and effect against such owner or user or there are no applicable noise control laws or ordinances at the time of the effective date of this section, then the A-weighted sound level of small arms fire on the shooting range does not exceed 90 dB(A) for one hour out of a day, or does not exceed 85 dB(A) for eight hours out of a day measured at, or adjusted to, a distance of one hundred feet outside the real property boundary of the shooting range. An owner or user may move for judgment dismissing one or more causes of action asserted against him on the ground that a cause of action cannot be maintained because of such affirmative defense.

2.

Nothing in this section shall in any way limit the rights or remedies which are otherwise available to a person under any other law.

3.

Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions one and two of this section, no shooting range shall be operated during the period from 10:00 PM until 7:00 AM unless a local law or ordinance specifically authorizes the operation of a shooting range during all or any portion of such time period.

4.

For the purposes of this section:

(a)

“Shooting range” shall mean an outdoor range equipped with targets for use with firearms and shall include, but not be limited to, all rifle, pistol and shotgun ranges.

(b)

“A-weighted sound level” shall mean the sound pressure level measured by the use of an instrument with the metering characteristics and A-weighting frequency response prescribed by sound level meters using the impulse response mode.

(c)

“Sound pressure level” shall mean twenty times the logarithm to the base ten of the ratio of the root mean squared pressure of a sound to a reference pressure of twenty micropascals. The unit applied to this measure shall be the decibel (dB).

(d)

“Small arms” shall mean projectile firearms of small caliber, including rifles, pistols, and shotguns.

Source: Section 150 — Shooting ranges, https://www.­nysenate.­gov/legislation/laws/GBS/150 (updated Sep. 22, 2014; accessed May 4, 2024).

Accessed:
May 4, 2024

Last modified:
Sep. 22, 2014

§ 150’s source at nysenate​.gov

Link Style