How many rounds of ammo can you buy at once in California?
Asked by: Zack Kuvalis | Last update: December 12, 2025Score: 4.4/5 (12 votes)
Private party transactions must be processed through a licensed ammunition vendor, which can charge a fee, and the buyer is subject to background check. Note: There is NO limit on the quantity of ammunition you can purchase, or the gauge/caliber.
How much ammo can you buy a month in California?
A: Prop 63 does NOT restrict the amount or type of ammunition you can buy. There are restrictions on how much a person can SELL in a 30 day period without being a licensed vendor. As for the DOJ restricting your purchase to only calibers you have registered: this is a myth.
Does California track ammo purchases?
An ATN is issued within the Dealer Record of Sale (DROS) Entry System (DES), upon a California Ammunition Vendor's submission of an ammunition transaction (eligibility check or ammunition purchase submission). The ATN is a tracking mechanism for a specific transaction. It is also known as the DROS number.
How many bullets can you buy at a time?
No states in the U.S. limit the amount of ammunition that can be bought or sold. New York and California require background checks at the point of purchase.
Can you have more than 10 rounds in California?
Generally, it is illegal to buy, manufacture, import, keep for sale, expose for sale, give or lend any large-capacity magazine (able to accept more than 10 rounds) in California.
What It's Like To Buy Ammo In California
Is there a limit on the amount of ammo you can buy 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. Note: There is NO limit on the quantity of ammunition you can purchase, or the gauge/caliber.
Can I own a 30 round magazine in California in 2024?
Penal Code 32310(c) goes on to make it a crime to possess a large capacity magazine, regardless of the date it was acquired. A “large-capacity magazine” means any ammunition-feeding device with the capacity to hold more than 10 rounds.
What is the new law on ammo in California?
The new California tax is an additional 11% excise on the purchase of guns and ammunition sold in the state beginning July 1, 2024. This tax is on top of existing federal taxes. (Depending on the gun type, the federal tax is either 10% or 11%.)
Can California residents buy ammo out of state?
California residents may not buy ammo out of state and bring it back with them. You can buy as much ammo as you want in whatever caliber; you do not need to own a registered gun for the caliber you buy. No purchase permits or safety certificates are required, just the background check.
How many boxes of bullets can you buy at Walmart?
Walmart limits customers to 3 gun ammo boxes per day.
Can you buy ammo the same day in California?
NO caliber restrictions *the type of ammunition you are buying DOES NOT have to match the caliber of firearm you have registered. NO quantity restrictions: you can buy pallets of ammunition if you choose. Take ammo home same day!
Can I give ammo to my friend in California?
It also authorizes people to freely share (but not sell) ammunition in person with friends and shooting partners, unless they have reason to believe that the ammunition would be illegally provided to a criminal or illegal user.
Are hollow points illegal in California?
Although most California gun owners are lawfully free to carry hollow-point bullets, there are certain exceptions to this rule. Among these exceptions are military personnel, law enforcement officials, and those with specific licenses to use hollow-point weaponry.
Does Walmart sell ammunition in California?
None. All of the Walmarts in California stopped selling ammunition.
Can you buy ammo online and get it shipped to your house?
In most states in the USA, you can order ammunition online and have it shipped to your door without restriction. Some online ammo retailers require proof of age/ID before you can submit an order, but once your driver's license or other approved ID is on file you don't have to resubmit it for future orders.
How many guns can you buy a month in California?
Appellate panel allows Californians to buy more than one gun per month. Law intended to combat 'straw purchases,' in which someone legally buys a gun, then gives it to someone else who is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
What documents do I need to buy ammo in California?
Required Documents
The background check requires a valid California ID or driver's license. If your ID mentions "Federal Limits Apply," you will need to provide supporting documentation for this in the form of a birth certificate, naturalization document, or valid US passport.
Can I buy two guns at one time in California?
A California law prohibiting individuals from buying more than one gun in a 30-day period was struck down by a federal judge Monday.
Why is the Glock 43x illegal in California?
Because CA legislators say it's “unsafe”. Their only rationalization is that Glock refused to “apply a microstamp” to the firing pin so that any rounds found at a crime scene will be traceable to the gun that fired it and, to the owner.
Does California still require a background check for ammo?
In 2016, California followed suit with Proposition 63 which was later amended by the legislator to mandate ammunition background checks in 2019. Neither system could take effect until September of 2023 and February of 2024 due to technological and legal purposes.
Can I buy ammo online in California in 2024?
As of January 31, 2024, California's laws for buying ammo online are surprisingly simple. Just meet the following three guidelines to legally buy ammunition and have it shipped directly to you without a background check. Be a California resident.
Is it illegal to carry ammo in your car California?
The Firearm Must Be Unloaded
You may store ammunition in the same locked container as the firearm, but they cannot be connected.
Can you buy a 10 round magazine in California?
Attorney Michael Mongan, representing Bonta's office, told the panel that California law has no restrictions on the number of magazines someone can legally possess or the amount of ammunition they can have. However, it does limit the capacity of a magazine to 10 rounds, Mongan added.
Can I own a 17 round magazine in CA?
PC 2310 prohibits possessing large-capacity gun magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds.
What happens if you have a 15 round magazine in California?
10 rounds max. If you have magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds you can either take them somewhere out of state, like to your cousin or something such, turn them in (surrender) to your local police or destroy them.