Archery Incident Leads to Gun Permit Revocation in Italy
A recent ruling by Italy’s TAR Lazio court has confirmed that an archery incident during a senior center activity can result in the revocation of a hunting firearm permit. The case, decided on October 17, 2025, involved an arrow shot during a training exercise that struck a passing vehicle, prompting legal consequences under Italian weapons law.
According to the court documents reviewed by Archysport, the incident occurred when a 77-centimeter arrow, shot during an archery exercise, hit a van with its window open while traveling on a public road adjacent to the shooting area. The arrow penetrated the vehicle’s cabin near the seatbelt anchor point, coming within centimeters of the driver’s head. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident.
The individual involved had been reported for the alleged crime of “dangerous throwing of objects” under Article 674 of the Italian Penal Code. The local police evaluated the event as indicative of “a seriously superficial and negligent conduct” in the practice of archery, noting that necessary safety precautions had not been taken to prevent such incidents.
This assessment led the police chief to revoke the individual’s license for hunting firearm possession. The decision was based on the preventive and precautionary principles inherent in weapons regulations, treating the archery incident as symptomatic of unreliability in handling weapons-related activities, including hunting, which requires similar prudence and caution.
The TAR Lazio court upheld the police decision, emphasizing that the archery activity was conducted without implementing all necessary safety measures to prevent serious incidents. The ruling highlighted that only by fortunate circumstance were no injuries sustained, underscoring the potential severity of such lapses in safety protocol.
This case serves as a significant reminder for archery practitioners and sports organizations about the critical importance of rigorous safety protocols, especially when conducting activities near public areas. It demonstrates how incidents in seemingly low-risk sports can have broader implications for weapon-related permits and licenses under Italian law.
For archery enthusiasts and sports administrators, this ruling underscores the necessity of maintaining stringent safety standards during all practice sessions, particularly those involving projectile sports near public thoroughfares. The incident highlights the legal responsibility sports participants bear to ensure their activities do not endanger the public.
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