Mission Viejo Municipal Code Ch. 11.13 Firearms

Footnotes:

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Cross reference— Citations in lieu of immediate arraignment, ch. 1.08; health and sanitation, tit. 6; fire code, ch. 8.04.

It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a peace officer acting in his or her official line of duty, to shoot, fire or discharge, or for any person to cause or permit to be shot, fired or discharged, in the territory lying within the boundaries of the city, any rifle, shotgun, pistol, revolver, or firearm, except when it may be necessary so to do so to protect life or property, in accordance with applicable law, or to destroy or kill any predatory or dangerous animal. This section shall not be applicable to tools which use small amounts of explosives to drive nails or bolts or to projectile weapons as defined and regulated in section 11.13.015.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 2(3-2-1), 6-27-88; Ord. No. 97-169, § 1, 6-2-97; Ord. No. 05-229, § 1, 3-21-05)

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a peace officer acting in his or her official line of duty, to shoot, fire or discharge, or for any person to cause or permit to be shot, fired or discharged, in the territory lying within the boundaries of the city, any projectile weapon, except as provided in subsection (b), or when it may be necessary so to do so to protect life or property, in accordance with applicable law, or to destroy or kill any predatory or dangerous animal. For the purposes of this section, the term "projectile weapon" shall include a BB gun, pellet gun, slingshot, dart gun, bow and arrow, paint ball gun, spot marker gun, or any similar weapon which expels a projectile (such as a BB, pellet, arrow, dart or similar object) through the force of air pressure, CO 2 pressure, bow action or spring action. This section shall not be applicable to tools that use small amounts of air pressure to drive nails or bolts.

(b) The city manager may, in his or her sole discretion, issue a permit to a use a projectile weapon to for appropriate and legitimate uses. The city manager shall adopt an administrative regulation providing for the procedures for issuing such permits and the standard conditions for such permits.

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (b) above, the city manager shall issue a permit to any licensed pest control company, veterinarian, or similar animal control licensee for the purpose of using a projectile weapon for control of destructive animals. The city manager may impose any conditions that are deemed necessary or desirable, including, but not limited to, a limitation on the duration of the permit, the hours of animal control, the location the animal control may occur and type or caliber of the projectile weapon.

(Ord. No. 05-229, § 2, 3-21-05; Ord. No. 10-284, § 1, 9-20-10)

The provisions of this chapter shall not be deemed nor construed to prohibit, within any district created under the provisions of the article, the establishment or maintenance of any pistol, rifle or target range nor to prohibit the discharge at any target thereon, by any person using such range, of any rifle, shotgun, pistol, revolver or firearm in or on such range, in the event that such range is so installed, constructed, safeguarded, equipped and used as to adequately prevent any bullet, shot or missile from being projected beyond the confines of such range.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 2(3-2-22), 6-27-88)