Eight With a Parent, Eighteen Alone: The Age Rules Behind Our Lanes

Two details in that table catch families out more than any number does. The first is the word "each": one parent cannot supervise a lane full of other people's children, because the rule is a parent or guardian with each child.

The second is the staff call. Being 8 gets a child through the door. It does not guarantee a lane, and our range officers can stop a session if a young shooter is not handling the gun safely.

Why 17 and under is priced separately

The guest fee here is $15 an hour for shooters 17 and under and $20 an hour for 18 and up, on top of the $25 lane fee. The cut sits at 18 because that is where the supervision rule changes. A 17-year-old is still on a parent's waiver and a parent's lane.

Does Texas Law Set a Minimum Age for Shooting at a Range?

No. Nothing in the weapons chapter of the Texas Penal Code names an age at which a child may shoot at a range, and there is no state license or permit a young shooter needs for target practice. What the law does control is how a firearm gets into a minor's hands. That is the reason ranges across Collin County lean so hard on parents, and it is worth knowing where each line actually comes from.

Here is the short version of the statutes that shape a family visit, read at their source on September 22, 2026:

The federal text is at the U.S. Code section 922, published by the House Office of the Law Revision Counsel, and it is more specific than most people expect. The handgun exception for someone under 18 requires the parent's written consent before the fact, and it expects the young shooter to have that consent in their possession whenever they hold the handgun. It also says the activity has to follow state and local law.

What that means for a family lane

None of this makes a supervised family lane unusual. Texas and federal law both describe exactly that arrangement: a parent who consents, an adult who supervises, and a firearm used for target practice. Our posted policy sits a little above the legal floor, with an age minimum and a staff veto the statutes never mention.

The waiver you sign with us is a range document, and nothing here is legal advice. If your teenager will shoot a handgun, the consent language in 922(x) is short enough to read for yourself before you come.

Who Can Sign for a Minor, and Who Cannot

Only a parent or legal guardian. The FAQ is blunt about it: siblings and other unrelated adults cannot sign the waiver for a minor. That rules out the adult cousin, the grandparent who has the kids for the weekend, and the friend's dad running a birthday outing, unless that adult is the child's legal guardian.

Three common situations show how the rule works:

1. A grandparent brings a grandchild: The parent has to sign. If the parent is not coming, a grandparent who is not the legal guardian cannot put that child on a lane.
2. An older sibling, 18 or over, brings a younger one: Same answer. Being an adult does not make a brother or sister a guardian.
3. A parent wants to drop a teenager off: Not allowed. The one exception is a camp or class designed for youth, and even then every young shooter needs a signed waiver.

The waiver itself is online, and it has to be filled out completely and submitted before anyone shoots. Filling in the online waiver for your child at home saves the parent from doing it on a phone in the lobby while the kids wait.

Checklist before a parent and child leave the house

• The parent or legal guardian who will stay at the lane is the one coming.
• The waiver is filled out for the minor by that parent or guardian.
• The parent brings a valid government-issued photo ID. A hunting license does not count as ID here.
• Clothing is range-ready. The guide to what to bring and wear on a first visit covers why a crew neck and closed-toe shoes matter.

Everyone knows eye and ear protection is mandatory on the range, for every shooter, every age.

Is 8 the Right Age for a Child's First Shot?

It is the youngest we allow, and it is not a target. The training page puts the real answer on the parent: the right time is when you feel your child is responsible enough to handle a firearm properly and safely.

Thom, who owns the range with Julie, took his first shot with a .22 at eight years old on his family's property. That tells you 8 can work. It does not tell you your 8-year-old is ready.

One outside marker is useful here. Texas Parks and Wildlife sets the minimum age for hunter education certification at 9, and its online-only course is limited to people 17 and older. That is the state's own firearm safety course, and it lands one year above our shooting floor. Our Top Gun Youth Camp for ages 9 to 12 and Top Gun Camp for ages 13 to 17 start at the same age.

Signs a younger shooter is ready

This is our own view from the line, not a rule you will find posted:

• They can repeat the four rules of firearm safety back to you without prompting.
• They stop instantly when told to. A range officer's command is obeyed immediately here, and a child who argues with "stop" is not ready for a live lane.
• They keep ear protection on without fussing. Ear and eye protection are mandatory in the range, and a child who keeps pulling the muffs off cannot stay on the line.
• They can hold the gun's weight without the muzzle drifting. With most young shooters, that points to a .22 rifle rather than a handgun.

The rental list carries .22 youth rifles at $15 an hour, kept for younger shooters. That is where we would start a first hour with a child.

Ages 18 to 20: A Lane of Your Own, With One Gap

At 18, you can walk in, show ID, sign your own waiver, and shoot without anyone else on the lane. You can rent a rifle, and you can buy ammunition at our counter. Rental guns only run ammunition bought from us, so an 18-year-old renting a rifle is buying the ammunition for it in the same visit.

The gap is handguns. Handgun rental here starts at 21 unless you hold a Texas License to Carry. That lines up with the federal 21 line on dealers delivering handguns. For a college student home for the holidays who wanted to try a pistol, it means a rifle lane this time, or a License to Carry first.

That last row surprises families from Allen, Frisco, and Plano more than the handgun rule does. The older sibling is an adult, can shoot alone and can rent a rifle, and still cannot sign for a 14-year-old brother.

What About the Simulator for Younger Kids?

The 300-degree video simulator uses no live ammunition, which makes it tempting for a child who is under 8 or not ready for the live lane. Talk to us first. Many of its scenarios are built for law enforcement and self-defense training and include a school shooter, a child abduction, and hostage situations. Our FAQ says plainly that the simulator may not suit children because of language and violence, and our simulator page asks families with younger participants to reach out so we can help plan the right session.

That is a decision for the parent, made with the scenario list in front of you. We would rather have the conversation before the booking than after the first scenario starts.

Planning a Family Visit Around the School Calendar

We are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. We are closed Mondays, and "Last Mag" is called ten minutes before closing. That Monday closure matters more than it sounds for families in Collin County, because school holidays often start on a Monday.

McKinney ISD's own 2026-27 calendar shows the dates most families will plan around this fall:

The Tuesday of Fall Break is the one worth circling. Every Tuesday is Ladies Day here, with half off lane fees and free rentals for women, which makes a mother and child lane that day about as inexpensive as range time gets.

Families driving in from Prosper, Princeton, Anna, Melissa, or Fairview for a holiday session are competing with every other family on break. A Family membership covers members of one household and includes lane reservations during holidays, which is the practical difference on a crowded Saturday in late December. Families closer to the south end of the county can also look at our page for shooters near Allen.

The first visit, in order

1. Fill in the waiver for each minor at home.
2. Arrive with the parent or guardian who is staying, plus photo ID.
3. Tell the counter it is a child's first time. First-time shooters of any age get an instructor in the range with them.
4. Rent a .22 youth rifle, or bring your own, with range ammunition for any rental.
5. Keep the first session short and stop while it is still fun.

A lane runs by the hour, so there is no pressure to fill all of it with a child who is done after 30 minutes.

Plan the First Range Visit Around Your Child's Age

If you are asking how old a child has to be, you are probably already planning the visit, and the plan is simple. Bring the parent or guardian who can sign and stay, and get the waiver done before you arrive.

Start a young shooter on a .22 rifle with an instructor on the line, and let the child tell you when the hour is over. Teenagers can build toward our Top Gun camps, and the rest of our youth firearm training in McKinney runs in small groups with youth firearms on hand.

Our lane etiquette rules are worth ten minutes with your teenager before the first visit. The same age rules are posted on our range FAQ page, and you can call us about a specific family situation before you book. When you are ready, The Range in McKinney is at 415 Industrial Blvd., open six days a week.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old do you have to be to go to a shooting range in Texas? 

Texas sets no statewide minimum age for supervised shooting, so each range sets its own. At our McKinney range, children can shoot from age 8 with a parent or legal guardian present, and anyone 18 or older can shoot without an adult.

Can kids go to the gun range? 
Yes, from age 8 at our range, with a parent or legal guardian who has signed the waiver and stays with them at all times. Children under 12 are never left unattended, and range staff can decide a child is not ready to shoot safely.

Do you have to be 21 to go to a gun range? 
No. You can shoot alone at our range from 18, rent a rifle, and buy ammunition. Renting a handgun is the step that waits until 21, unless you hold a Texas License to Carry.

Can a grandparent or older sibling sign the waiver for a child? 
No. Only a parent or legal guardian can sign the waiver for a minor. Siblings and other unrelated adults cannot, even when they are adults themselves, so the parent or guardian must sign before the child shoots.

Can I drop my teenager off to shoot? 

No. Anyone under 18 must have a parent or guardian with them in the range. The only exception is a camp or class designed for youth, such as our Top Gun camps for ages 9 to 12 and 13 to 17, and every youth shooter needs a signed waiver.

The Range in McKinney

415 Industrial Blvd., McKinney, TX 75069

(972) 330-4415

therangeinmckinney.com

Tuesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–7 p.m. | Sunday 12 p.m.–6 p.m. | Closed Mondays

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