Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

34 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2522 (2026)

Shooting at or causing injury to human beings.

✓ current as of May 2026

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§ 2522. Shooting at or causing injury to human beings.

(a) General rule.--It is unlawful for any person while hunting or furtaking, through carelessness or negligence, to shoot at, injure or kill any human being through the use of a firearm, bow and arrow or other deadly weapon.

(b) Penalty.--The penalty to be imposed for any violation of this section shall be determined pursuant to the following classifications:

(1) To shoot at but not hit or injure or to shoot at and cause bodily injury to a human being is a summary offense of the first degree.

(2) To shoot at and cause serious bodily injury to a human being is a misdemeanor of the second degree.

(3) To kill a human being is a misdemeanor of the first degree. Fines imposed against a violator of this paragraph shall be distributed to the next of kin as an asset of the estate of the deceased, other provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding.

(c) Denial of privileges.--In addition to the penalty imposed pursuant to subsection (b), any person who shoots at, injures or kills a human being shall be denied the privilege to hunt or take game or wildlife anywhere in this Commonwealth, with or without license, for the following periods:

(1) To shoot at but not hit or injure or to shoot at and cause bodily injury to a human being, the denial shall be for a period of two years.

(2) To shoot at and cause serious bodily injury to a human being, the denial shall be for a period of not less than five years nor more than ten years.

(3) To kill a human being, the denial shall be for a period of 15 years.

(d) Nonpayment of fine.--In addition to any sentence imposed pursuant to subsection (b), any person who fails to pay the fine imposed by this section within 180 days shall undergo imprisonment not in excess of one year or until the fine is paid in full.

(e) Imprisonment for violation of sentence.--It is unlawful for a person to hunt or take game or wildlife or attempt to hunt or take game or wildlife, with or without license, contrary to a sentence imposed under subsection (b). Upon conviction, the person shall be sentenced to undergo imprisonment for a period of not less than three months nor more than six months.

(f) Mandatory remedial hunter education.--Any person whose privilege to hunt or take game is suspended under subsection (c) shall, prior to obtaining a license after the period of suspension, present evidence of the successful completion of a remedial hunter education course as provided by the director and approved by the commission.

(g) Mandatory vision examination.--Any person whose privilege to hunt or take game is suspended under subsection (c) shall present to the commission, prior to obtaining a license after the period of suspension, evidence of having taken and the results of a vision examination administered by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist subsequent to the suspension of the license. The commission, based on the results of the vision examination, may deny a person a license or place on the license a restriction requiring the person to wear corrective lenses when the person hunts or takes game.

(h) Civil remedies preserved.--Nothing in this section shall bar the recovery of any damages in any civil action by any aggrieved party.

(Dec. 19, 1996, P.L.1442, No.184, eff. 60 days; Dec. 20, 2000, P.L.783, No.111, eff. July 1, 2001)

2000 Amendment. Act 111 amended subsec. (f).

Cross References. Section 2522 is referred to in sections 925, 929, 2741 of this title; section 9758 of Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure).

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 6 cases, 1988–2019 · leading case: Hamilton v. Commonwealth, 546 A.2d 144 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1988).

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Hamilton v. Commonwealth, 546 A.2d 144 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1988). “The Game Law was repealed and substantially reenacted as the Game and Wildlife Code (Code), 34 Pa.”

Com. v. Manilla, D. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2019). “34 Pa.C.S. § 2522(a). FN 13. 34 Pa.C.S. § 2102(d).”

Commonwealth v. Bevilheimer, 3 Pa. D. & C.4th 334 (1989). · cites it 2× “This was a violation of 34 Pa.C.S. §2522 which providés that under such circumstances the injuring of a human being is a misdemeanor of the third degree under the Game and Wildlife Code.”

In Re Extradition of Harshbarger, 600 F. Supp. 2d 636 (M.D. Penn. 2009). “34 Pa.C.S. § 2522(a) ("It is unlawful for any person while hunting or furtaking, through carelessness or negligence, to shoot at, injure or kill any human being through the use of a firearm, bow and arrow or other deadly weapon.”

Commonwealth v. Padelsky, 6 Pa. D. & C.4th 642 (1990). “34 Pa.C.S. §2522(a). Negligence is defined in the Criminal Code under section 302 as follows: “A person acts negligently with a respect to a material element of an offense when he should be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the material element exists or will…”

Commonwealth v. Northime, 15 Pa. D. & C.4th 74 (1992). “” 34 Pa.C.S. §2522(b)(2). Conviction under this section is a misdemeanor of the third degree.”

— 34 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2522(a) — 3 cases

Com. v. Manilla, D. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2019). “34 Pa.C.S. § 2522(a). FN 13. 34 Pa.C.S. § 2102(d).”

— 34 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2522(b)(2) — 1 case

Commonwealth v. Northime, 15 Pa. D. & C.4th 74 (1992). “” 34 Pa.C.S. §2522(b)(2). Conviction under this section is a misdemeanor of the third degree.”

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