Yes, you can buy ammo online in NY, but the shipment cannot come to your door. State law requires every ammunition transfer to happen in person, so an online vendor must ship your order to a licensed firearms dealer (FFL) or registered ammunition seller in New York. You then go to that location, show ID, pass a background check through the State Police database, and take the ammunition home.1New York State Senate. New York Penal Law PEN 400.03 – Sellers of Ammunition
How the Online Order Works
Three steps. You place the order with the online vendor and give them the name and address of a New York dealer or registered ammunition seller who has agreed to receive the shipment. The vendor ships to that dealer, not to you. You visit the dealer in person to finish the transfer and the background check.1New York State Senate. New York Penal Law PEN 400.03 – Sellers of Ammunition
Two phone calls before you click buy. Confirm the online vendor actually ships to New York, because some won’t. Confirm the dealer will accept a third-party ammunition shipment and ask what they charge for it.
Who Can Buy
Federal law sets the age floor at a licensed dealer: 21 for handgun ammunition, 18 for rifle or shotgun ammunition.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
New York goes further on handgun rounds. A dealer cannot sell ammunition designed exclusively for a pistol or revolver to anyone not authorized to possess a handgun, which in practice means you need a valid New York pistol permit to buy handgun ammunition.3New York State Senate. New York Penal Law 270.00
Federal law also bars certain people from possessing any ammunition at all, including anyone convicted of a felony, anyone subject to a domestic violence restraining order, anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, anyone involuntarily committed to a mental institution, unlawful users of controlled substances, and others.4ATF. Identify Prohibited Persons These apply whether you buy in person or online.
What You Can’t Order
Two ammunition categories to avoid. Armor-piercing handgun rounds, defined by projectiles made entirely from metals like tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or uranium, are illegal to possess with intent to use unlawfully against another person. Bullets containing an explosive substance designed to detonate on impact are flatly illegal to possess.5New York State Senate. New York Penal Law 265.00 – Definitions Standard hollow-point, full metal jacket, and soft-point ammunition is legal.
Magazines are a separate problem. Any magazine that holds more than ten rounds is illegal to possess in New York, with narrow exceptions for certain .22 caliber tubular devices and registered curios or relics manufactured at least fifty years ago.5New York State Senate. New York Penal Law 265.00 – Definitions Possession is a class D felony as criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree.6New York State Senate. New York Penal Law 265.02 – Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree
You may have seen references to a seven-round loading limit for ten-round magazines. The SAFE Act originally contained that rule, but a federal court struck it down and it is not enforced. Ten rounds in a ten-round magazine is fine.
At the Counter
Bring a valid state-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license. Out-of-state buyers can use a photo ID from their home state or country.1New York State Senate. New York Penal Law PEN 400.03 – Sellers of Ammunition
The dealer submits your information and the ammunition details to the New York State Police statewide license and record database. If you’re eligible under state and federal law, the system assigns a unique identification number to the transaction and the dealer releases the ammunition.1New York State Senate. New York Penal Law PEN 400.03 – Sellers of Ammunition The dealer also logs the sale, including caliber, quantity, manufacturer, and any lot numbers; those records are available to law enforcement but are not public.7New York State Police. Frequently Asked Questions for Firearm Dealers Regarding Recent Changes to New York Firearm Laws
Fees to Expect
Budget for two extras on top of the ammunition price. The state charges a background check fee of a few dollars per transaction. The dealer typically charges a separate transfer fee for handling a third-party shipment, often around $25 or more. Ask about both before you place the online order so the total doesn’t surprise you.
If You’re Denied
A denial means the dealer cannot release the ammunition and will usually send it back to the online vendor. The State Police will provide a reason. You can appeal through the Office of the New York State Attorney General by email to Background.Check@ag.ny.gov.8Office of the New York State Attorney General. Appeal a Gun or Ammunition Background Check If the denial came from an incorrect record, such as a mistaken criminal history match, that appeal is how you get it corrected.
Extra Rules for New York City
If your pickup dealer is in the five boroughs, city law layers on more. For rifle or shotgun ammunition, you need both a valid NYC rifle and shotgun permit and a certificate of registration for the specific firearm, and the dealer can only sell you ammunition matching the caliber on your registration. The city also sets a tighter magazine capacity ceiling: rifle or shotgun magazines holding more than five rounds are illegal to possess, versus the ten-round statewide limit.9American Legal Publishing. NYC Administrative Code 10-306 – Disposition, Purchase and Possession of Ammunition and Ammunition Feeding Devices Confirm you meet those requirements before ordering to a NYC dealer.
Driving Through With Ammunition From Elsewhere
If you bought ammunition legally in another state and are just passing through New York, the federal Firearm Owners Protection Act gives you some cover. It allows transport through restrictive states so long as you can legally possess the ammunition at both origin and destination, and during transit the ammunition cannot be readily accessible from the passenger compartment; in a vehicle without a trunk, it must sit in a locked container other than the glove compartment or center console.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms
This protection covers passing through. Stop in New York for anything beyond a brief, travel-related break and you lose it, falling under the full set of state and city rules above.