As of July 2025, buying ammo out of state and bringing it back to California is allowed, so long as the ammunition itself is legal under California law. A Ninth Circuit ruling in Rhode v. Bonta permanently enjoined the state from enforcing its ammunition import restriction and its point-of-sale background check system, holding both facially violate the Second Amendment.1Justia. Rhode v. Bonta, No. 24-542 (9th Cir. 2025) The statutes that made out-of-state purchases illegal are still in the Penal Code, but they cannot currently be enforced against you.
That is the short answer. The longer answer matters because California could seek further review, because certain ammunition types remain banned no matter where you bought them, and because the rules for moving to the state carry their own wrinkles.
What the Court Ruling Changed
Following the Ninth Circuit’s affirmance, the California Department of Justice issued guidance stating that state and local law enforcement shall not enforce the criminal punishment provisions of the affected statutes, and that California residents may bring ammunition purchased outside the state into California, provided the ammunition is legal.1Justia. Rhode v. Bonta, No. 24-542 (9th Cir. 2025)
The permanent injunction specifically bars enforcement of:
- Penal Code sections 30312(a) and (b) and 30314(a), which required ammunition to pass through a licensed California vendor.
- Penal Code sections 30352 and 30370(a) through (e), the point-of-sale background check provisions.
- The criminal penalties tied to those sections in Penal Code 30312(d), 30314(c), and 30365(a).
In practical terms, a California resident can now drive to Nevada or Arizona, buy ammunition at retail, and bring it home without shipping it to a licensed vendor first and without submitting to a DOJ eligibility check on arrival. Online orders that ship directly to a residential address are likewise no longer blocked by the state provisions the court enjoined.
What the Statute Still Says
The enjoined statutes have not been repealed. On paper, Penal Code 30314(a) still prohibits a California resident from bringing in ammunition purchased elsewhere unless it is first delivered to a licensed California ammunition vendor, and Penal Code 30312 still requires ammunition sales to be processed through a licensed vendor, including remote and online orders.2California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30312
This framework grew out of Proposition 63, approved by voters in November 2016, which moved up the start date for the import restriction to January 2018 and added the point-of-sale background check that began in July 2019.3Ballotpedia. California Proposition 63, Background Checks for Ammunition Purchases and Large-Capacity Ammunition Magazine Ban (2016)
Because the text remains, the rules could return quickly if the state obtains a stay or a higher court reverses. California can petition for en banc review by the full Ninth Circuit or seek Supreme Court review. Anyone planning a large purchase or a routine of buying out of state should check the case status before relying on the current situation.
Ammunition Types That Are Still Illegal
The injunction blocks the import and background check rules. It does not touch California’s bans on specific types of ammunition, which remain fully enforceable no matter where the ammunition came from.
Armor-piercing handgun ammunition is prohibited under Penal Code 30315. Knowing possession is a wobbler: prosecutors can charge it as a felony carrying 16 months, two years, or three years in state prison, or as a misdemeanor carrying up to a year in county jail. Either way the fine can reach $5,000.4California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 30315
Tracer and incendiary ammunition are classified as destructive devices under Penal Code 16460. The one narrow exception is tracer ammunition manufactured for use in shotguns.5California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 16460
Hunters face an additional restriction. Since July 2019, California has required nonlead ammunition for taking any wildlife with a firearm, on public and private land alike. “Nonlead” means projectiles containing one percent or less lead by weight. Buying lead-core hunting ammunition out of state and bringing it home for a California hunt will trigger Fish and Wildlife violations.6State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Nonlead Ammunition in California
Finally, ammunition feeding devices that hold more than ten rounds cannot be brought into California, regardless of where they were purchased.7State of California Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Frequently Asked Questions That is a magazine rule, not an ammunition rule, but it catches a lot of out-of-state buyers who assume anything sold legally elsewhere travels home with them.
Moving to California With Ammunition You Already Own
New residents relocating to California can generally bring the ammunition they already own, with the same type restrictions everyone else faces: no armor-piercing handgun rounds, no tracer or incendiary ammunition, and no magazines above ten rounds. The DOJ’s guidance for new residents states plainly that feeding devices with a capacity greater than ten rounds may not be transported into the state.8State of California Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Firearms Information for New California Residents
Firearms themselves carry a separate obligation. Anyone moving into California with a firearm must file a New Resident Report of Firearm Ownership with the DOJ’s Bureau of Firearms within 60 days, sell the firearm to a licensed dealer, or transfer it to a law enforcement agency. The report costs $19, and failing to file can lead to criminal prosecution under Penal Code 27590.8State of California Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Firearms Information for New California Residents
Visitors Bringing Ammunition Into California
The import restriction in Penal Code 30314 applied only to California residents in the first place. Non-residents visiting or passing through can bring their own ammunition with them, so hunters and competitors traveling to the state have never needed to route ammunition through a California vendor.9State of California Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Ammunition Purchase Authorization Program Frequently Asked Questions Whatever you bring still has to be legal under California type restrictions.
What to Watch Going Forward
Two things could change the picture. First, if the state secures a stay from the Ninth Circuit or the Supreme Court while further review proceeds, the enjoined statutes become enforceable again on short notice, and buyers who kept up the old habits could suddenly face criminal exposure under Penal Code 30312(d) and 30314(c). Second, even without any court action, the type bans on armor-piercing, tracer, and incendiary ammunition, the nonlead hunting rule, and the magazine capacity limit are all fully in force today.
Before a large out-of-state purchase, check the current status of Rhode v. Bonta and confirm the specific ammunition you plan to buy is not on California’s prohibited list. That two-step check covers both the risk that the rules snap back and the risk that the ammunition itself is illegal to bring home.