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State of California Department of Justice
Rob Bonta
Attorney General
Attorney General
The Bureau of Firearms serves the people of California through education, regulation, and enforcement actions regarding the manufacture, sales, ownership, safety training, and transfer of firearms. Bureau of Firearms staff will be leaders in providing firearms expertise and information to law enforcement, legislators, and the general public in a comprehensive program to promote legitimate and responsible firearms possession and use by California residents.
Ammunition Purchase Laws Are Still in Effect — Rhode, et al. v. Bonta, No. 24-542 (9th Circuit)
On July 24, 2025, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals—in Rhode v. Bonta, Case No. 24-542—issued its opinion finding that California's ammunition background check regime is unconstitutional and affirmed the district court's grant of a permanent injunction.
However, before that opinion and permanent injunction may take effect, there are a number of procedural steps that must take place, including that the Ninth Circuit must issue its mandate, which would render the decision final and transfer jurisdiction back to the district court. Currently, none of those procedural steps have been taken.
Accordingly, California's background check requirements for ammunition purchases currently remain in effect and should continue to be followed by dealers/sellers until further notice.
Please be aware that Department of Justice Bureau of Firearms staff is prohibited by law from discussing an applicant’s criminal record or mental health information over the telephone. Staff also cannot provide legal advice or offer information relating to the various legal steps needed to restore firearms rights. (California Penal Code section 11105 and Welfare and Institutions Code section 8103, subdivision (e)(3).)
A DROS application can be delayed for many reasons. Most often it is because the background check found a record matching your personal descriptors (such as your name, date of birth, etc.) and more time is needed to verify that the record is yours and to obtain missing information needed to determine your eligibility to own or possess firearms.
Please be patient and allow the Department enough time to gather additional information and resolve any issues. The Department will notify the firearms dealer to delay the transfer of a firearm to a purchaser if the Department is unable to determine the purchaser’s eligibility within the 10-day waiting period. Many county courthouses are operating on shortened work weeks and with fewer staff, delaying the approval or denial of applications. If the record is an out-of-state or military record, you should anticipate a longer response time from our office to get the needed information. If 30 days has passed since the transaction date and the Department is still unable to determine the purchaser’s eligibility to own/possess firearms or whether the firearm involved in the sale/transfer is stolen, the Department will notify the dealer.
If you believe there is a discrepancy in your eligibility to own/possess firearms, you can obtain a copy of your California record by completing the Request for Live Scan (BOF 8016RR) form located on the Department’s website: http://oag.ca.gov/firearms/forms. You should review the record, identify any incomplete or missing court information, and then follow up with the court where your case was held and request the court submit corrected information to the DOJ's Bureau of Criminal Information and Analysis (BCIA). If you disagree with any information in your record, you should follow the instructions in the letter for disputing inaccuracies. You may wish to obtain an attorney for legal advice and who can best represent your interests on how to restore your rights to buy firearms.
The California Department of Justice (the Department) is authorized by Penal Code section 28220 to temporarily delay a firearm transaction for up to 30 days from the date of transaction when the Department is unable to immediately determine the purchaser's eligibility to own/possess firearms. If 30 days has passed since the transaction date and the Department is still unable to determine the purchaser’s eligibility to own/possess firearms or whether the firearm involved in the sale/transfer is stolen, the Department will notify the dealer. It will then be at the dealer’s sole discretion whether to release to you the firearm.
If you believe there is a discrepancy in your eligibility to own/possess firearms, you can obtain a copy of your California record by completing the Request for Live Scan (BOF 8016RR) form located on the Department’s website: http://oag.ca.gov/firearms/forms. You should review the record, identify any incomplete or missing court information, and then follow up with the court where your case was held and request the court submit corrected information to the DOJ's Bureau of Criminal Information and Analysis (BCIA). If you disagree with any information in your record, you should follow the instructions in the letter for disputing inaccuracies. You may wish to obtain an attorney for legal advice and who can best represent your interests on how to restore your rights to buy firearms.
There are two common reasons why a DROS application may be rejected:
(1) you attempted to purchase or receive a firearm that matched an entry in the DOJ Automated Firearms System (AFS) indicating the firearm is stolen (California Penal Code section 28220(d).)
In the case of a stolen firearm rejection, the dealer must retain the firearm until the law enforcement agency that made the stolen entry in AFS (or another law enforcement agency) is able to retrieve the firearm. (California Penal code section 28220(d).) If you have questions concerning why the firearm was reported stolen or have information concerning why the firearms should not be considered stolen, please contact the law enforcement agency that made the entry or the law enforcement agency that retrieves the firearm from the dealer; and
(2) you attempted to purchase a firearm with an invalid, suspended, revoked, or expired California driver’s license or California identification card (California Penal Code sections 16400 and 26815).
In the case of a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) rejection, your application was rejected based on information provided to us by the California DMV. You must contact the DMV to make sure your California driver’s license or California identification card information is current and correct.
If your DROS application is denied, you will receive a letter from the DOJ Bureau of Firearms within two weeks. The letter will explain the reason and instructions on how to get a copy of the record that resulted in the denial of your application. There will also be instructions on how to dispute and correct information in your record you believe is wrong. DOJ staff cannot discuss your record over the telephone. Therefore, it is recommended that you get a copy of your record and follow the instructions for disputing inaccuracies. You may also wish to retain an attorney for legal advice and who can best represent your interests on how to restore your rights to buy firearms.
If your DROS application was denied based on a Federal Brady prohibition (e.g., out-of-state conviction, illegal/unlawful alien, military dishonorable discharge, out-of-state mental health record, etc.), you can appeal the denial of your application directly to the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Instant Criminal History Background Check System (NICS). When discussing your situation with NICS, you must include the NICS Transaction Number (NTN) associated with your firearm purchase as referenced in the denial letter sent to you by the DOJ Bureau of Firearms. You can appeal directly to NICS by downloading the NICS appeal brochure and following the instructions found at NICS Appeals page.