California · Penal Code

PEN §30305: (a) (1) No person prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 29800) or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 29900) of Division 9 of this title, or Section 81

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

Persons prohibited from owning firearms cannot possess ammunition. Violation is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to $1,000 fine. An exception exists for those who briefly possess found ammunition to deliver it to law enforcement.

Read the full statutory text
(a) (1) No person prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 29800) or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 29900) of Division 9 of this title, or Section 8100 or 8103 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, shall own, possess, or have under custody or control, any ammunition or reloaded ammunition. (2) A violation of this subdivision is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year or in the state prison, by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment. (b) (1) A person who is not prohibited by subdivision (a) from owning, possessing, or having under the person’s custody or control, any ammunition or reloaded ammunition, but who is enjoined from engaging in activity pursuant to an injunction issued pursuant to Section 3479 of the Civil Code against that person as a member of a criminal street gang, as defined in Section 186.22, may not own, possess, or have under the person’s custody or control, any ammunition or reloaded ammunition. (2) A violation of this subdivision is a misdemeanor. (c) A violation of subdivision (a) or (b) is justifiable where all of the following conditions are met: (1) The person found the ammunition or reloaded ammunition or took the ammunition or reloaded ammunition from a person who was committing a crime against the person who found or took the ammunition or reloaded ammunition. (2) The person possessed the ammunition or reloaded ammunition no longer than was necessary to deliver or transport the ammunition or reloaded ammunition to a law enforcement agency for that agency’s disposition according to law. (3) The person is prohibited from possessing any ammunition or reloaded ammunition solely because that person is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm only by virtue of Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 29800) of Division 9 or ammunition or reloaded ammunition because of subdivision (b). (d) Upon the trial for violating subdivision (a) or (b), the trier of fact shall determine whether the defendant is subject to the exemption created by subdivision (c). The defendant has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant is subject to the exemption provided by subdivision (c).

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.