Sponsors (2)
Requires licensed dealers/importers/manufacturers to take possession and follow federal procedures before most private transfers of ammunition between unlicensed persons; creates limited exemptions.
Official title: Prevent the purchase of ammunition by prohibited purchasers.
Introduced February 12, 2026 by Richard Blumenthal · Last progress February 12, 2026
The bill aims to reduce anonymous ammunition transfers and protect some gun-owner privacy while creating new dealer recordkeeping requirements and potential state-by-state complexity that could increase costs and complicate lawful private transfers.
Licensed ammunition dealers will screen and record private transfers, reducing anonymous transfers between unlicensed persons and making it harder for prohibited individuals to acquire ammo.
People prohibited from owning firearms are less likely to obtain ammunition, which should reduce dangerous incidents and improve public safety over time.
The Act prevents federal agencies from using it to create a nationwide firearms or ammunition registry, protecting gun owners' privacy from a federal database.
Licensed dealers will face new administrative burdens and potential liability when taking possession of and processing private transfers, increasing costs for small businesses.
Unlicensed individuals who routinely transfer ammunition (gifts/loans) — including parents and family members — will face extra steps and possible delays or refusals, making informal transfers harder and limiting lawful access in some situations.
Implementation and recordkeeping requirements could expand government databases of ammunition transfers and raise privacy and civil‑liberties concerns for gun owners.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits most private transfers of ammunition between unlicensed individuals unless a licensed firearms business first takes possession and conducts the required checks and recordkeeping. It adds new transfer rules and exemptions, updates cross-references in federal law, preserves state authority, and delays implementation for 180 days after enactment. The bill also requires licensees who take temporary possession of ammunition for a transfer to follow existing licensing rules, mandates a certification and notice on an Attorney General–prescribed form, and lists enumerated exemptions (law enforcement, military, certain family/estate transfers, emergency temporary transfers, transfers allowed under federal tax law, and limited on-range/hunting arrangements). It expressly bars creating a national registry and preserves state lawmaking power on the same subject under existing statute.