Can I shoot in My Backyard in Florida?

Is shooting on my private property in Florida legal?

I have been a firearms instructor for over 10 years. Over that time, I have seen changes to many of our gun laws. With guns, it is essential to remember that it is our responsibility to understand the law.

Students and friends routinely ask me, “can target shoot on private property here in Florida?”

The relevant Florida statute is 790.15

Residents, homeowners, and lawful gun owners can not shoot firearms on the private property of homes in residential neighborhoods where the land is less than one acre.

However, with gated communities or ‘zero lot land,' things are different. You cannot shoot in your backyard unless:

1. the land is 1.25 acres
2. have one home (or more)
3. and your surrounding neighbors have one acre or more

Of course, even though it is legal to do so, you need to think about:

1. Shoot safely
2. Shoot responsibly
3. Ensure your ammunition will not injure or kill someone on neighboring property

In almost every circumstance, you will want to shoot into a backstop that will catch the bullets.

Building a backstop in your backyard:

There are many ways to build an acceptable backstop to shoot into. Search, and you will find specs and diagrams to suit your needs.

Although you can use many materials, sand and dirt are the cheapest and most accessible material to use in a backstop. Remember that bullets that hit rocks or hard objects can ricochet in unexpected directions. Naturally, this can be a significant safety concern for you and your neighbors. So make sure whatever material you use does not contain material that can cause ricochets.

Unfortunately, I live in a gated community with homes stacked on top of each other like sardines. Alas, my dream of sitting in my lawn chair while shooting bottles in my backyard will not happen. But your situation may be different.

Here is Flordia Statute 790.15

Discharging firearm in public or on residential property

It isn't just Florida gun law that changes. Gun laws in many states vary across the country every year. Some of these changes are substantial and can have huge ramifications if unknown.

I am working on answering the question about shooting on your property for each of the 50 states. If you want to know the law in Texas, check out this link.

We have an unbelievably helpful resource for any gun owner, especially those who travel. We haven app that is totally free and provides so much more than just up-to-date legal info for every state.

Check out the Concealed Carry Gun Tool App here.

Gun Safety Course!

If you know someone new to guns or needs a refresher course on safety, I highly recommend checking out and sharing our Gun Safety Course. It presents gun safety from a self-defense perspective and is totally free!