Where to buy ammunition in california

A: According to Cal. Penal Code section :. This approval shall occur at the time of purchase or transfer, prior to the purchaser or transferee taking possession of the ammunition.

Pursuant to the authorization specified in paragraph 1 of subdivision c of Section , the following persons are authorized to purchase ammunition:.

If the purchaser or transferee is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm, the transaction shall be denied. This option is available to ammunition vendors who can demonstrate legitimate geographical and telecommunications limitations in submitting the information electronically and who are approved by the department to use the telephone line verification.

All fees received pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the Ammunition Safety and Enforcement Special Fund and, notwithstanding Section of the Government Code, are continuously appropriated for purposes of implementing, operating, and enforcing the ammunition authorization program provided for in this section and Section and for repaying the start-up loan provided for in Section Q: How long will the eligibility checks take?

Do I have to pay for it each time? We have no control over this set fee. To be clear: the fee is per transaction. If your blood is boiling like ours is, then join the California Rifle and Pistol Association CRPA , who is fighting in court to overturn this nonsense. Oh, and VOTE in your local and state elections! A: You can buy as much ammo as you want.

There will NOT be any quantity or caliber restrictions on the ammo you can buy. The purchase, no matter how big or small, will have to be electronically documented with the DOJ, which we will handle at the point of sale. Q: My ammunition purchase will be recorded with the DOJ?

A: Sadly, yes. However, legally, they cannot keep this information for longer than two 2 years, and our guess is the massive cost of storing millions of transactions a month will be VERY COSTLY, and they will have to recycle the date to make room much sooner than that.

For more info: Cal. Penal Code section lays out some other things that the law will require for ammunition purchases beginning on July 1, The department shall retain this information in a database to be known as the Ammunition Purchase Records File. This information shall remain confidential and may be used by the department and those entities specified in, and pursuant to, subdivision b or c of Section , through the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, only for law enforcement purposes.

The ammunition vendor shall not use, sell, disclose, or share the information for any other purpose other than the submission required by this subdivision without the express written consent of the purchaser or transferee. Prior to delivering any ammunition, an ammunition vendor shall require bona fide evidence of identity to verify that the person who is receiving delivery of the ammunition is a person or entity listed in subdivision e or one of the following:.

If the person is not listed as an authorized ammunition purchaser, the vendor shall deny the sale or transfer. Penal Code e Subdivisions a and d shall not apply to sales or other transfers of ownership of ammunition by ammunition vendors to any of the following, if properly identified:.

B Verifiable written certification from the head of the agency, as described by Penal Code section , subdivision e 8 B i. The verifiable written certification from the head of the agency expires 30 days after issuance. We did not create or support this law and we are not responsible for how it is carried out. However, if you have questions that aren't answered on this page if the information above didn't help, please keep reading below , you can contact us using the form at the end of the article and we'll do the best we can to help you.

Note: We will not respond to questions whose answers are contained on this page. Most people will have to get a background check every time they buy ammunition in California.

Private party transactions must be processed through a licensed ammunition vendor, which can charge a fee, and the buyer is subject to background check. Everyone in these categories must present government-issued identification that includes their name, date of birth, description and photo. Also, people may transfer ammunition to a spouse, registered domestic partner or immediate family member without going through a licensed ammunition vendor or background check.

Note: Neither CCW holders nor active-duty military are exempt from background checks. At shooting ranges: The law does not require people to get a background check when purchasing ammunition at shooting ranges, but only provided they use all of the ammunition while they are there. On a hunt: Friends sharing shells and bullets used in the field is allowed without a background check.

If you have purchased a handgun since Jan. There is no option for non-gun owners to get into the system, so if you are a new hunter who is still borrowing a firearm, you cannot use this option. Note: Though this system uses records of past gun purchases, it does so just to show you cleared a background check. There is no requirement for the ammunition you purchase to match the gauge or caliber of firearm s listed in your AFS records.

This is for people who are not in the Automated Firearm System. Note: If you purchase ammunition while purchasing a firearm, you do not need to get a separate background check for the ammo — the check for the gun will suffice. Note: There is no provision for non-residents to buy ammunition in California. However, non-residents are allowed to bring ammunition into California without shipping it to a vendor or submitting to a background check.

Also, we have heard from a supporter who serves in the military here but is not a California resident that he was able to purchase ammunition at one store, but not another. Accepted documents are a valid, unexpired U. Citizen; a valid, unexpired foreign passport with valid U. Territory; a Certificate of Naturalization or U. The person is not prohibited from purchasing or possessing ammunition. The Department determines eligibility based on a comprehensive review of its records similar to a firearm eligibility check.

The person was approved by the Department to receive a firearm from the ammunition vendor, pursuant to Penal Code section , if that vendor is a licensed firearm dealer, and the ammunition is delivered to the person in the same transaction as the firearm. In this scenario, the dealer will use the approved firearm eligibility check as the approval to purchase ammunition, and will submit the ammunition purchase to the Department during the delivery of the firearm.

To establish an Automated Firearms System record, you may take one of the following actions: Record ownership of a firearm you possess, but were not previously required to report, by submitting a Firearm Ownership Report to the Department.

Record ownership through a purchase or transfer of a firearm from a licensed firearm dealer in California. Science Technology Business U. Judge tosses California ammunition purchase law. A federal judge on Thursday, April 23, , blocked a California law requiring background checks for people buying ammunition, ruling the restrictions violate the constitutional right to bear arms.

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