Ammunition restrictions guidance
Federal law imposes age and shipping restrictions on transactions involving ammunition. State and local law may impose further restrictions. For example, some states require buyers to provide a copy of their state firearm owner card to the seller. Other states might limit the caliber and type of ammunition that can be sold. Finally, shipping carriers themselves impose restrictions. GunTab provides this guidance with the warning that it may be incomplete or out of date. It is your responsibility to know and follow laws and policies that apply in your jurisdiction.
Age restrictions
You can only purchase long gun ammunition if you are at least 18 years old, and you can only purchase handgun ammunition if you are at least 21. Federal law restricts the sale of both long gun and handgun ammunition by age. Learn more about the federal age restrictions on ammunition.
Shipping restrictions
You can only ship ammunition by FedEx Ground and UPS Ground. Federal law prohibits the shipping of ammunition via USPS, because ammunition is considered a type of explosive and explosives are nonmailable matter for USPS. Also, carriers require shipment by ground service (no airmail, etc). Learn more about the shipping carrier services available for ammunition.
Some regulations by state
Some state-specific regulations (this is not a complete list):
- California: The California Ammunition Purchase Authorization Program requires an "eligibility check" for all ammunition purchases. This check must be performed by a licensed dealer. Although this requirement was briefly struck down in 2020, it was quickly reinstated and is apparently being enforced as of October, 2020.
- New York: The New York SAFE Act requires a background check for all ammunition purchases, however this requirement was suspended by a "memorandum of understanding" in 2015 and is apparently not being enforced as of October, 2020.
Additional information by state
Find more information about regulations in your state using these additional resources.