Attorney General Dave Yost co-leads 25 states challenging California ammunition background checks

COLUMBUS, Ohio — More than 2 twelve states, led by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, are urging a national appeals tribunal to uphold a ruling that blocked California’s ammunition background‑check requirements.

The Republican attorneys wide revenge an amicus little pinch nan U.S. Court of Appeals for nan 9th Circuit supporting a ineligible situation to California laws requiring residents to acquisition a inheritance cheque to acquisition ammunition.

California voters passed nan requirements successful 2016 arsenic portion of Proposition 63, which mandated inheritance checks for ammunition purchases and restricted residents from importing ammunition bought retired of state.

Gun‑rights advocates and ammunition sellers sued earlier nan rule took afloat effect. A national territory tribunal ruled successful January 2024 that nan requirements violated nan Second Amendment. A three‑judge sheet of nan Ninth Circuit affirmed that ruling successful July 2025, concluding that mandatory inheritance checks and fees for ammunition purchases break nan Second Amendment nether nan U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision successful New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.

That determination is connected hold. In December 2025, nan afloat Ninth Circuit agreed to rehear nan lawsuit en banc, meaning nan rule tin beryllium enforced while nan tribunal reconsiders nan challenge. Oral arguments are scheduled for March 2026.

In their brief, nan attorneys wide reason that California’s ammunition restrictions unconstitutionally load nan correct to support and carnivore arms.

“California’s ammunition background‑check and anti‑importation provisions make firearms unusable to California residents unless they bargain nan state’s renewed support to reload them each clip they tally debased connected ammunition,” nan little states.

Joining Yost and Labrador are attorneys wide from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

“California has spun a web of burdensome laws designed to extremity residents from buying ammunition,” Yost said successful a statement. “The correct to carnivore arms includes nan correct to bargain ammunition.”

Mary Frances McGowan is simply a governmental newsman for Cleveland.com. Prior to joining nan squad successful 2025, McGowan was astir precocious a unit analogous astatine National Journal, wherever she covered governmental campaigns for...