Pennsylvania generally prohibits the possession of firearms in the buildings of, on the grounds of, or in any conveyance providing transportation to or from any elementary or secondary publicly-funded educational institution, any elementary or secondary private school licensed by the Department of Education or any elementary or secondary parochial school.¹ However, schools may apply to a court to allow certain security personnel–including law enforcement officers employed by the school and independent contractors–who have met specified training standards to carry firearms.²

In addition, a defense to the statute exists where the weapon is possessed and used in conjunction with a lawful supervised school activity or course or “is possessed for other lawful purpose.”³ There has been recent litigation in Pennsylvania courts regarding the scope of the exception for possession of weapons on school property for “other lawful purpose[s],” and Pennsylvania courts have urged state lawmakers to review and clarify this language.⁴

State law prohibits hunting with a firearm in a “safety zone,” defined as an area within 150 yards of “any attached or detached playground of any school, nursery school or day-care center.”⁵

People who have valid licenses to carry a firearm are subject to these location limits.

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1. 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 912.[↩]
2. 24 Pa. Stat. § 13-1302-C.[↩]
3. 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 912(c).[↩]
4. See Commonwealth v. Goslin, 156 A.3d 314, 318, fn. 4 (PA Super. Ct. 2017.); Commonwealth v. Edwards, 217 A.3d 387, fn.7 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2019).[↩]
5. 34 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 2505(a), (c).[↩]