Attorney General James Wins Court Decision Upholding New York’s Law on Background Checks for Ammunition Sales

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of a preliminary injunction against enforcement of New York’s law requiring background checks with ammunition sales in New York State Firearms Association v. James: 

“Once again, my office has successfully defended New York’s background checks on ammunition sales despite repeated attempts to undermine this commonsense law. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe in their community and my office will continue to defend our laws and protect public safety.”

New York’s Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA), enacted in July 2022, requires individuals to pass a background check when purchasing ammunition. In September 2023, the New York State Firearms Association and four individuals sued to block the enforcement of New York’s law on background checks of ammunition sales. In May 2024, Attorney General James successfully defended the law after the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction, finding that they had not shown any likelihood of success on the merits. Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the lower court’s decision.