California Ammunition Rules: Vendors, Checks and Litigation

Ammunition is the part of California law that surprises people most, and it is worth getting exactly right before you place an order. The short answer, as of September 2026, is that ammunition cannot be shipped to a California home. This guide explains why, what the in-person check costs, and where the litigation stands. General information, not legal advice, and this is the area of California law most likely to move.

The rule

Penal Code 30312 requires that the sale of ammunition by any party be conducted by or processed through a licensed ammunition vendor. The same section says a sale, delivery or transfer of ammunition may only happen face to face with the seller, with one exception: ammunition may be bought over the internet or by other remote ordering if a licensed ammunition vendor first receives the ammunition and processes the transaction. That exception is the whole model for online ammunition in California. Your order ships to a vendor, not to you.

The eligibility check

Since July 1, 2019, a buyer must pass an ammunition eligibility check, approved electronically by the Department of Justice through a licensed vendor, before the vendor may hand the ammunition over. There are three routes:

Standard Ammunition Eligibility Check - for a buyer whose information already matches an entry in the Automated Firearms System and who is not prohibited. The fee rose from $1.00 to $5.00 on July 1, 2025.
Basic Ammunition Eligibility Check - for a buyer with no Certificate of Eligibility and no matching entry in the Automated Firearms System. The fee is $19.00, and this route involves a records review by Department analysts, so it is not instant.
Certificate of Eligibility verification - for a buyer holding a current Certificate of Eligibility. That fee also moved to $5.00 on July 1, 2025.

There is also a route for buying ammunition at the same time as a firearm from a licensed dealer, where the firearm check covers both.

Why the Standard check fails for so many people

The Standard check compares the name, date of birth and address you give the vendor against the Automated Firearms System, which is built from California firearm transaction records. If you have never bought a firearm in California, if you moved and never updated your record, or if your name is recorded differently, the Standard check will not find you, and you will be pushed to the $19 Basic check. Keeping your California firearm records current is the practical fix, and holding a Certificate of Eligibility is the other.

What happens to your online order

You order, we ship to a licensed California ammunition vendor you have arranged, and the vendor logs it in. You go to the vendor in person, show a valid California driver licence or identification card, pay the eligibility check fee and the vendor's handling fee, and the vendor releases the ammunition once the Department of Justice approves. If the check is denied you do not get the ammunition, and the vendor handles it under its own policy. Build the vendor's fee and a trip into your cost, because on small orders they can exceed the saving from buying online.

Bringing ammunition in from another state

A California resident generally may not bring in or transport ammunition bought out of state without first having it delivered to a licensed ammunition vendor for delivery to them. There is a narrow set of exemptions in the statute, mostly for licensees, Certificate of Eligibility holders and certain organised shooting events. Driving to Nevada or Arizona to buy cheap ammunition and carrying it home is not a workaround.

Where Rhode v. Bonta stands

This is the case to watch, and the position needs to be stated carefully. In January 2024 a federal district court held California's ammunition background check scheme unconstitutional. On July 24, 2025 a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit affirmed that ruling. California sought rehearing before a larger panel, and in December 2025 the Ninth Circuit granted rehearing en banc, which vacated the panel opinion. The en banc court heard argument in March 2026. As of September 2026 no en banc decision has issued.

The practical consequence is the one that matters to you: the ammunition background check requirement is in force today. Do not order ammunition to a California address on the strength of the 2025 panel ruling, because that ruling no longer stands as law. If the en banc court rules, the position could change quickly in either direction, so check the Department of Justice ammunition pages before you plan around it.

Tax

California's 11 percent excise tax on retail sales of firearms, precursor parts and ammunition is imposed on the licensed dealer or ammunition vendor on its gross receipts, with exemptions for law enforcement sales and for any quarter in which the seller's relevant gross receipts are under $5,000. In practice, ammunition bought from a California vendor carries it.

Non-lead ammunition for hunting

Separately from the purchase rules, California requires non-lead projectiles to take any wildlife with a firearm anywhere in the state, on public and private land alike. The threshold is one percent lead content or less, and CDFW maintains a list of certified non-lead ammunition. Wildlife officers may inspect the ammunition you are carrying. Target shooting is not covered by the non-lead rule. There is more on this in our deer zone guide.

Practical advice

Arrange your vendor before you order, and confirm its handling fee.
Get a Certificate of Eligibility if you buy ammunition often, so you use the cheaper verification route.
Keep your California firearm records and address current so the Standard check finds you.
Buy in fewer, larger orders, since the check fee and vendor fee are per transaction.
If you hunt, buy certified non-lead and keep it separate from your practice ammunition.

You can browse calibres in our online shop, and find local pickup options through our California gun shop pages. For firearm transfers rather than ammunition, see our online buying guide and our California gun laws overview. Everything here is current as of September 2026 and several points are in active litigation, so confirm with the California Department of Justice before acting.

General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.