BELLEVUE, Wash. — Jan. 2, 2026 — The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and its partners have filed an amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit in support of Rhode v. Bonta, a case challenging California’s ammunition background check system.
When buying ammunition in California residents are required to undergo a background check, and the system wrongfully rejects over one in 10 law-abiding people attempting to purchase ammo. SAF is joined in the amicus filing by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and Second Amendment Law Center.
“California’s ammunition background check regime defies Bruen by imposing a burdensome and error-prone system that rejects a large fraction of eligible purchasers, denying law-abiding citizens their Second Amendment rights without historical justification,” said SAF Director of Legal Research and Education Kostas Moros. “History shows no tradition of such invasive and inaccurate checks on ammunition purchases, and we urge the Court to affirm the district court’s ruling striking down this unconstitutional barrier.”
This case affects tens of thousands of law-abiding Californians who face wrongful denials and excessive costs when trying to exercise their right to acquire ammunition for self-defense and other lawful purposes. In addition, each time they use this faulty system to purchase ammunition purchasers must pay a minimum of $5. Moreover, it entirely blocks residents of other states from buying ammunition in California. SAF’s brief explains why the Ninth Circuit can strike down the faulty background check system in its entirety and also summarizes the totality of the regulatory and financial burdens facing those seeking to purchase a firearm in California.
“This case is essential because it exposes the unconstitutional burdens California lawmakers place on Second Amendment rights through a flawed system that punishes peaceable residents,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “Adding insult to injury, these same residents must also pay a fee to even purchase ammunition, which is unconscionable. SAF is dedicated to challenging these overreaches, and we believe this warrants the Court’s affirmation.”
For more information visit SAF.org.
The Second Amendment Foundation (saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the fundamental rights of individuals enshrined in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. SAF engages in aggressive legal action to ensure the principles of armed self-defense, personal liberty, and the ownership of arms are defended, secured, and restored. Through public education initiatives, SAF teaches the importance of the Second Amendment to promote a society that values and exercises the right to keep and bear arms.
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