About Time: Florida Lawmakers Push for Ammunition Background Checks

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida lawmakers are weighing a bill that, if passed, would make the Sunshine State one of the few in the nation to require background checks not just for firearms, but also for the bullets that go inside them.

The legislation, introduced this week by two Democratic lawmakers, seeks to close what they describe as a “gaping loophole” in Florida’s gun laws. While firearm purchases already trigger background checks through federal and state databases, ammunition sales are largely unregulated — meaning anyone, regardless of criminal history, can walk into a store and buy boxes of rounds with no questions asked.

“This is about common sense,” one of the sponsors said. “A gun without bullets is just a paperweight. If we’re serious about reducing gun violence, we have to address both.”

Supporters of the bill argue it could prevent tragedies by making it harder for individuals with violent criminal records, domestic abusers, or those deemed a danger to themselves or others to stockpile ammunition.

Gun rights groups, however, are already bracing for a fight. Critics argue the measure amounts to government overreach and an infringement on Second Amendment rights. They also warn it could create logistical headaches for retailers and ammunition suppliers.

If approved, Florida would join states like California, New York, and Connecticut, which already regulate ammunition sales through background checks.

For now, the bill is set to move through committee hearings in the coming weeks. Whether it survives in the Republican-controlled Legislature remains an open question — but the debate itself marks a shift in Florida’s long-running conversation about gun laws.

As one lawmaker put it, “We’ve regulated the trigger. It’s about time we look at the bullets, too.”