U.S. Appeals Court Strikes Down California Ammunition Background Check Law
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July 25, 2025 Hour: 2:39 pm
Californian voters approved background checks for ammunition purchases in 2016 by a margin of 63% to 36%.
On Thursday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that struck down a California law requiring background checks for ammunition purchases, declaring it unconstitutional.
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A lower court had previously found that the voter-approved law from the 2016 election violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
“California’s ammunition background check regime violates the fundamental right to keep and bear arms,” reads the opinion delivered by Judge Sandra Segal Ikuta, who affirmed that the law “significantly burdens the right to keep and bear operational arms” by subjecting Californians to background checks for all ammunition purchases.
Segal Ikuta also noted that California failed to demonstrate that the law aligns with recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions on gun regulation, such as the 2022 ruling in a case brought by the National Rifle Association (NRA).
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the ruling “a major setback to the progress” the state has made in recent years to combat gun violence.
“Californians voted to require background checks for ammunition, and their voices should be heard,” said the Democratic politician regarding the law, which took effect in 2019 but is currently suspended.
Newsom cited several polls showing bipartisan support for universal background checks and other gun safety measures, with approval ratings typically ranging from 85% to 90%, even in surveys conducted by conservative outlets.
For instance, a 2023 Fox News poll found that 87% of U.S. voters support criminal background checks for all gun buyers. In California, voters approved background checks for ammunition purchases in 2016 by a margin of 63% to 36%.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE