Beginning February 1, 2011 you will be required not only show ID but provide a fingerprint to buy ammo for handguns in California. Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 962 into law on October 11, 2009.
AB 962 requires purchasers to show bonafied ID to ammunition vendors in order
to purchase handgun ammunition. The bonafied is spelled out as a government
issued ID with a photo.
Acceptable forms include a driver’s license or military ID. In addition, the vendor is required to record the purchasers name, driver’s license number, state of issuance, signature, thumbprint, residential address, date of birth and phone number. In addition the name of the sales person, the date of sale, brand type and amount of ammunition sold must also be recorded. The records must be kept on the vendor’s premises for a minimum of five years.
There is no provision for how the records are maintained (paper or electronic)
stored, or securely destroyed.
Once again a law is passed that only impacts those who are law abiding citizens not the criminals. A criminal can cross the state line to Nevada or Arizona and purchase ammo without restriction. The law abiding citizen becomes part of a data base tracking the purchases of ammo and their buying habits.
The law also bans the purchase of ammo via mail order or through the internet. Many hobby shooters who compete rely on mail order purchases for affordable ammo to be used in target practice.(source)
- AB 962 should be of real concern to all firearms owners for two important reasons. First, it is of concern because of the requirement to collect personal information from purchasers of handgun ammunition – a serious privacy rights issue.
- Second, it will prohibit the purchase of ammunition through internet and mail order vendors. This second part has the potential to severely impact junior shooting sports programs that rely on internet and mail order ammunition purchases.
A bill was in the works shortly after AB962 was signed into law to repeal it. For more information on repealing the law please see the article supplied.
Repeal AB962
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