Can I order ammunition online or reload my own in California?

Section 30312 sets two rules. A sale of ammunition "by any party" must be conducted by or processed through a licensed ammunition vendor. And a sale, delivery or transfer of ownership may only occur in a face-to-face transaction, except that ammunition may be bought over the Internet or by other remote ordering "if a licensed ammunition vendor initially receives the ammunition and processes the transaction" (Penal Code 30312).

The Department of Justice (DOJ) says eligibility approval "shall occur electronically through a licensed California Ammunition Vendor" (DOJ FAQ). The check types and fees are covered in How does the California ammunition background check work?.

When neither party to a sale is a licensed vendor, the statute lets the vendor charge the purchaser an administrative fee "in an amount to be set by the Department of Justice" (Penal Code 30312(a)(2)). DOJ's regulation sets it this way (11 CCR 4263, DOJ text):

• If the purchaser is present for immediate delivery, the fee "shall not exceed five dollars ($5)."
• If the purchaser is not present for immediate delivery, the vendor may charge an additional storage fee agreed on before the vendor receives the ammunition.

The regulation is titled "Vendor Fee for Processing a Private Party (Non-Vendor) Ammunition Sale."

Two other costs can apply: the DOJ eligibility check fee, and the state's 11 percent excise tax on retail sales of ammunition (Revenue and Taxation Code 36011). Since October 1, 2025, a California dealer or vendor that hands over ammunition on behalf of an out-of-state retailer engaged in business in the state is deemed the retailer for that tax (Revenue and Taxation Code 36001(i)(2)). See California's gun and ammunition excise tax.

Section 30312(c) lists transfers the vendor and face-to-face rules do not apply to. They include (Penal Code 30312(c)):

• A federally licensed collector whose licensed premises are in California and who holds a current DOJ certificate of eligibility.
• A person who receives ammunition from a spouse, registered domestic partner or immediate family member. "Immediate family member" means parent and child, or grandparent and grandchild (Penal Code 16720).
• A person who buys or receives ammunition at a licensed target facility, if the ammunition stays on the premises at all times.

The Penal Code has two definitions (Penal Code 16150):

• General definition, used for the vendor, face-to-face and import rules: loaded cartridges consisting of a primed case, propellant and one or more projectiles. This definition does not list unloaded cases, primers, powder or bullets.
• Broader definition, used for prohibited persons: "any bullet, cartridge, magazine, clip, speed loader, autoloader, ammunition feeding device, or projectile capable of being fired from a firearm with a deadly consequence."

The second definition matters because a person prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm may not own or possess "any ammunition or reloaded ammunition" (Penal Code 30305). Federal law is also broader than the general state definition. It defines ammunition to include "cartridge cases, primers, bullets, or propellent powder designed for use in any firearm" (18 U.S.C. 921(a)(17)).

California's ammunition statutes mention "reloaded ammunition" in two places checked for this article: the age limits on sales (Penal Code 30300) and the ban on possession by prohibited persons (Penal Code 30305). The rules that most directly touch hand loading are about powder and about selling:

• Powder quantities. State law requires a permit to receive, store or possess explosives (Health and Safety Code 12101). That permit chapter does not apply to possession or use of 20 pounds or less of smokeless powder, or one pound or less of black sporting powder, when the powder is for hand loading small arms ammunition of .75 caliber or less, is for private use and not resale, and is stored and handled under local fire rules (Health and Safety Code 12102).
• Buying powder. A person who sells or gives those quantities must first get a signed statement that includes the recipient's name, address, birth date and identifying information, the intended purpose, and the type and amount of powder (Health and Safety Code 12102.1).
• Selling loaded rounds. Section 30312 applies to the sale of ammunition "by any party," and selling more than 500 rounds in any 30-day period requires an ammunition vendor license (Penal Code 30342).
• Federal licensing. Federal law requires a license to "engage in the business" of manufacturing ammunition, and defines a manufacturer as a person engaged in that business "for purposes of sale or distribution" (18 U.S.C. 922(a)(1)(B), 921(a)(10)).