Government to promote operation of existing shooting ranges and establishment of new ones

The Government proposes legislative amendments to promote the operation of existing shooting ranges and facilitate the establishment of new ones. On 1 October 2026, the Government submitted to Parliament a proposal to amend the Act on Shooting Ranges and the Environmental Protection Act.

In line with the Government Programme, the aim is to simplify the environmental permit processes and legislation concerning shooting ranges.

“The Government wants to safeguard the operation of Finland’s existing shooting ranges and promote the establishment of new ones. The permit process would become more streamlined. This would provide recreational shooters and public authorities with better opportunities for training,” says Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.

In future, a single authority, the National Police Board, would handle all permit and notification matters related to shooting ranges. It would act as the permit and supervisory authority, taking over the tasks currently handled mainly by municipalities. Since the shooting range permit and notification would cover both safety and environmental matters, applicants would only need to submit a single application or notification. This would reduce the administrative burden associated with the permit processes and help ensure consistent procedures.

The proposal would also facilitate the establishment of small shooting ranges. In the case of minor shooting ranges subject to a notification, the maximum number of shots would be raised to 100,000 shots a year. These small shooting ranges would be subject to the same environmental requirements as other shooting ranges.

Environmental requirements to be included in the Act on Shooting Ranges