The California State Legislature recently passed a restriction on the sale of ammunition. Section 30312 of the California Penal Code requires the sale of ammunition to be conducted by or processed through a licensed ammunition dealer authorized by the Department Of Justice (DOJ).
Pursuant to the code, the seller must be a licensed ammunition dealer in order for the transaction to be lawful. If neither party is a licensed ammunition dealer, the parties must process the sale through a third-party vendor, such as a DOJ approved ammunition shop.
This means that California consumers can no longer purchase ammunition directly from a seller online unless the online seller is approved by the DOJ. Additionally, the third-party vendor may charge the purchaser an administrative fee to process the transaction.
However, this provision does not apply to following:
- Law enforcement officials
- Peace Officers
- An importer or manufacturer of ammunition or firearms
- A licensed collector of firearms
- An ammunition vendor*
Violation of this provision is a misdemeanor offense.
*For an exhaustive list please see Section 30312 (c) of the California penal code.