California Ammunition Background Checks Back in Place, For Now

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted a stay on the permanent injunction by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Benitez that struck down California’s requirement for background checks for ammunition purchases at retail and the ban on importing ammunition into the state. This means all ammunition purchases in California will be required to be performed with background checks administered by California’s Department of Justice (CalDOJ) and private parties are forbidden from bringing ammunition into the state. All ammunition must be obtained through a firearm and/or ammunition retailer.

The case, Rhode v. Bonta, is being appealed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. NSSF^® is closely monitoring and will advise of any changes as soon as they are made available.