9th Circuit Panel Hears Arguments on California Ammo Background Checks

Summary

The Ninth Circuit's eleven-judge en banc panel heard oral arguments in Pasadena on Wednesday for Rhode v. Bonta, a case challenging California's 2019 ammunition background check law. This law requires gun owners to pass a background check and pay a $1 fee for every ammo purchase, banning direct online sales. The ruling, expected in months to a year, will determine if the law, which was previously struck down by a three-judge panel in July 2025, is permanently overturned or restored, applying the Bruen text-and-history test.