Most adults in the United States can buy ammunition, but federal law permanently bars nine categories of people, sets minimum ages tied to the type of ammo, and lets states add their own permit and background-check requirements on top. Whether you personally can buy ammunition comes down to three questions: does anything in your background trigger a federal prohibition, are you old enough for the type you want, and does your state require a permit or check at the point of sale?
Who Federal Law Prohibits
The Gun Control Act, at 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), makes it a federal crime for nine categories of people to possess firearms or ammunition. The ban applies in every state, and no state can loosen it.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts
You are prohibited if any of the following applies to you:
- You have been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison, whether or not your state labels it a felony.
- You are a fugitive from justice.
- You are a current user of, or addicted to, a controlled substance.
- A court has found you mentally defective, or you have been involuntarily committed to a mental institution.
- You are in the country illegally, or you were admitted on a nonimmigrant visa (with narrow exceptions such as holding a valid hunting license).
- You were discharged from the military under dishonorable conditions.
- You formally renounced your U.S. citizenship.
- You are subject to a qualifying court order restraining you from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or that partner’s child.
- You have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
A separate provision, 18 U.S.C. § 922(n), bars anyone currently under indictment for a felony-level crime from shipping, transporting, or receiving ammunition. That does not technically prohibit possession, but it prevents completing a purchase while charges are pending.2Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons
Sellers who knowingly transfer ammunition to someone in any of these categories face their own criminal liability under 18 U.S.C. § 922(d), and licensed dealers can lose their federal firearms license.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts
How Old You Have to Be
Federal age minimums depend on the type of ammunition and who is selling it. A licensed dealer cannot sell handgun ammunition to anyone under 21, or rifle and shotgun ammunition to anyone under 18.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Minimum Age for Gun Sales and Transfers The dealer violates federal law only if they know or have reasonable cause to believe the buyer is underage, and federal law does not spell out how to verify age.
Some states set a flat 21-year minimum for any ammunition purchase, regardless of caliber. Others reach the same result indirectly by requiring a permit or ID card that is only issued to adults 21 and older. If you are between 18 and 20, check your state’s rule before making the trip.
State Background Checks and Permits
There is no federal background check for ammunition. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System runs firearm transactions, not ammo sales. A handful of states have built their own systems on top.
Checks Run at the Register
California and New York require sellers to verify a buyer’s eligibility through a state database before completing each sale. You show ID, wait for electronic approval, and pay a per-transaction fee. A denial stops the sale.
Permits and ID Cards
Other states front-load the background check into a permit that you then present at purchase. Connecticut accepts a pistol permit, a long gun eligibility certificate, or a separate ammunition certificate. Illinois requires a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card. Massachusetts and New Jersey use similar ID-card systems tied to ammunition sales. The permit itself proves eligibility, so no fresh check runs at the counter.
In most other states, ammunition is sold like any other legal product. You walk in, pay, and leave. The gap between the two groups of states surprises people who travel or move.
Online and Private Sales
Federal law does not prohibit buying ammunition online. In most states, an internet retailer can ship rounds directly to your home, with no background check and no requirement to route the package through a licensed dealer. That is a real departure from online firearm sales, where the gun must ship to a dealer for a check first.
Carriers treat ammunition as a hazardous material. UPS, for example, ships small-arms ammunition by ground under a “Limited Quantity” exception that covers cartridges up to .50 caliber and shotgun shells up to 8-gauge in packages of 66 pounds or less.4UPS. How to Ship Ammunition Ammunition cannot go in the same box as a firearm, will not ship internationally, and will not be delivered to anyone under 18.
State law is where online buying gets blocked. California, New York, and the District of Columbia require all ammunition purchases to happen in person at a licensed dealer, so home delivery is off the table. States with permit systems generally require the online seller to verify the buyer’s permit before shipping.
Private sales work similarly. When one individual sells or gives ammunition to another, federal law imposes no background-check requirement. A neighbor can sell you a box of 9mm at a garage sale with no paperwork, as long as both of you are legally allowed to possess ammunition. The seller still cannot knowingly transfer to a prohibited person, but “know or have reason to believe” is a high bar and there is no federal mechanism forcing a check.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts States with ammunition permit or check laws generally apply them to private transfers as well.
Ammunition Types You Can’t Freely Buy
Some ammunition is restricted no matter who you are.
Armor-Piercing
Federal law prohibits the manufacture and import of armor-piercing handgun ammunition and bars licensed dealers from selling it, with narrow exceptions for government and military production, export, and Attorney General-authorized testing.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts The statute defines armor-piercing ammunition as a handgun projectile made entirely of hard metals such as tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium, plus full-jacketed handgun projectiles larger than .22 caliber whose jacket exceeds 25 percent of the projectile’s weight. The federal ban targets the supply chain; possession alone is not a federal crime, though using it during a violent or drug-trafficking offense triggers a mandatory minimum. Some states ban possession outright. Shotgun ammunition required by hunting regulations and frangible target-shooting projectiles are carved out.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 921 – Definitions
Hollow-Point, Tracer, and Incendiary
Hollow-point ammunition is legal in most of the country and widely used for self-defense and hunting. New Jersey is the standout exception, restricting hollow-point possession to essentially the home, a range, and transport between the two. A few other jurisdictions impose narrower limits.
There is no broad federal ban on civilian possession of tracer or incendiary rounds, though federal regulations prohibit firing them on national forest land.6eCFR. 36 CFR 261.5 – Fire Several states restrict or ban these types on their own, largely over wildfire risk.
Penalties for Buying When You’re Not Allowed
A prohibited person caught possessing ammunition faces federal charges under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) carrying up to 15 years in prison. That is the same maximum as illegal firearm possession; the statute treats bullets and guns the same way. State penalties vary and frequently stack on top of any federal charge. Federal prosecutors bring ammunition-possession cases regularly, particularly against people with felony convictions and domestic-violence records, so the risk is not theoretical.