Appeals court says California law requiring background checks for ammunition is unconstitutional
July 24, 2025
A federal appeals court says a California law requiring background checks to buy bullets is unconstitutional. Voters passed the law in 2016 and it took effect in 2019. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on Thursday upheld a 2024 decision by a lower court that found the state law violates the Second Amendment. U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez had decided the law was unconstitutional because if people can’t buy bullets, they can’t use their guns for self-defense. Many states, including California, make people pass a background check to buy a gun. California went a step further by requiring a background check every time people buy bullets.