[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the Borough of Northvale 6-11-1975 as Ord. No. 406 (Ch. 47 of the 1969 Code).
Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 3-8-2017 by Ord.
No. 970-2017]
It shall be unlawful to discharge any firearm,
BB gun or pellet gun except in a regularly established shooting gallery
or as otherwise provided herein. Additionally no person shall discharge
any arrow from a crossbow or a compound bow at any time in the Borough.
A person may conduct or permit a shooting or
hunting party upon private premises after obtaining a permit therefor
in the manner hereinafter provided.
Any person wishing to conduct a hunting or shooting
party in the borough shall file, on a form to be supplied by the Borough
Clerk, an application with the Borough Clerk stating:
A.
The name of the applicant.
B.
His permanent home address.
C.
The date on which he proposed to conduct the hunting
or shooting party.
D.
The number of persons expected to participate.
E.
The names and addresses of those expected to participate.
F.
The number and type of weapons to be used.
G.
A description of the proposed activities.
H.
A description of the safety precautions.
I.
A description of the premises upon which the activities
shall be conducted.
J.
The name of the owner of the property.
K.
A written authorization from the owner of the property
for the intended activity.
The application shall be filed not more than
three months nor less than one month prior to the date of the proposed
shooting or hunting party and shall be accompanied by a filing fee
of $25.
The Borough Clerk shall give a copy of the application
to the Chief of Police, who shall cause such investigation of the
applicant, the premises upon which the activity is to be conducted
and the safety precautions proposed by the applicant as the Chief
of Police deems necessary for the public good. If, as a result of
such investigation, the application is found to be unsatisfactory,
the Chief of Police shall endorse his disapproval and the reasons
therefor on the copy of the application and return it to the Borough
Clerk, and a permit shall not be issued. If, as a result of such investigation,
the application is found to be satisfactory, the Chief of Police shall
endorse his approval on the copy of the application and return it
to the Borough Clerk, who shall execute a permit to be issued to the
applicant. The Chief of Police may accompany a satisfactory recommendation
with such conditions and limitations as may be required to protect
the safety of the participants in the activity and the residents of
the borough. If the Chief of Police does suggest any such conditions
or limitations, the Borough Clerk shall execute a permit to be issued
to the applicant and such permit shall be subject to such conditions
or limitations.
A.
The permit shall show the name and address of the
permittee, the premises on which the discharge of firearms is to be
permitted and the date when such activity is to be permitted.
B.
This permit is not transferable. Shooting shall not
be permitted before sunrise nor after sunset. The permit must be carried
and shown upon request. The permit must be surrendered when no longer
used or when expired.
All firing must be conducted on the premises
described in the permit. No projectile discharged by any firearm shall
be permitted to cross any public road, the boundary line of the area
for which the permit was issued or the property line of any person
who did not consent, in writing, to such activity.
The police shall immediately confiscate any
firearm used in violation of this chapter. The firearm, if duly licensed,
shall be returned upon payment of the fine or upon direction of the
court.
This chapter shall not be construed to prohibit
any officer of the law from discharging a firearm in the performance
of his duty nor to prohibit any citizen from discharging a firearm
when lawfully defending person or property.
