Bill
HB 5285
HB 5285 would criminalize under-18 outdoor use or possession of BB/pellet guns outside a home’s curtilage, with an adult supervision exception and misdemeanor penalties.
Status snapshot
- Bill number: HB 5285 (House Introduced)
- Introduced: March 14, 2025 (filed); reintroduced/physically reproduced Nov 13, 2025
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Julie Rogers (and listed co‑sponsors)
- Committee referrals: Public Health (4/7/2025); later referred to Committee on Government Operations (11/13/2025)
- Companion bill: SB 1388
- Current text: House Introduced version (electronic reproduction dated 11/13/2025)
Purpose / intent
- To regulate use and possession of pneumatic (BB/pellet) guns by persons under 18 years of age when those guns are used or possessed outside the curtilage of the minor’s dwelling, and to create a specific misdemeanor penalty for violations.
Key provisions (sectioned)
- Who is restricted
- Any individual under 18 years of age.
- Prohibition
- A person under 18 “shall not use or possess a pneumatic gun outside the curtilage of the individual’s dwelling” unless accompanied by an individual over 18 years of age.
- Definition
- “Pneumatic gun” is defined as any implement designed as a gun that will expel a BB or pellet by spring, gas, or air (i.e., airguns, BB guns, pellet guns). The bill does not cover firearms that use combustion/chemical propellants in its definition.
- Penalty
- Violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days imprisonment, a fine of up to $500, or both.
Who would be affected
- Primary: minors (under 18) who possess or use BB/pellet guns outside the curtilage of their home.
- Secondary: parents/guardians and adults who supervise minors (the statute creates an affirmative accompaniment exception), law enforcement tasked with enforcing the misdemeanor, and retailers/organizations that run youth BB/pellet shooting activities (which would need to ensure adult supervision for minors off private property).
- Activities potentially affected: recreational target shooting, backyard shooting on property edges, some youth hunting or training activities when occurring outside the curtilage and without an accompanying adult.
Procedural / timing notes
- Introduced and read in the House in 2025 with committee referrals noted above. The version available is the House Introduced text (electronically reproduced 11/13/2025). Companion Senate bill SB 1388 exists and may proceed on a parallel track.
Practical and legal considerations
- The bill hinges on the term “curtilage,” which in practice can require factual/legal interpretation to determine whether a location is within a dwelling’s curtilage.
- The only statutory exception provided is accompaniment by a person over 18; no other exemptions (e.g., supervised courses, organized youth programs without an adult present) are included in the text.
- Penalties are limited (misdemeanor, up to 90 days/$500), but a conviction could carry collateral consequences for youth.
If enacted, HB 5285 would criminalize unsupervised outdoor possession or use of BB/pellet guns by minors outside their home’s curtilage, subject to the defined supervision exception and misdemeanor sanctions.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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