California cannot require background checks to buy ammunition, US appeals court rules

Source: Reuters

July 24, 2025 1:21 PM EDT Updated 12 mins ago


July 24 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court ruled on Thursday that California's first-of-its-kind law requiring firearm owners to undergo background checks to buy ammunition is unconstitutional.

In a 2-1 vote, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California upheld a lower court judge's permanent injunction against enforcing the law. Circuit Judge Sandra Ikuta said California failed to show that the law was consistent with the country's historical tradition of firearm regulation, as required under a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

"By subjecting Californians to background checks for all ammunition purchases, California’s ammunition background check regime infringes on the fundamental right to keep and bear arms," violating the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment, Ikuta wrote.

The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, which defended the law, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. California Governor Gavin Newsom's office did not immediately respond to a similar request.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/california-cannot-require-background-checks-buy-ammunition-us-appeals-court-2025-07-24/