New York Attorney General investigation yields cease and desist letters against 39 ammunition sellers

At least 39 ammunition sellers have been shipping ammunition directly to New York residents and failing to keep records of the transactions in violation of state law, according to the results of an investigation announced this week by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Under the New York SAFE Act, direct online sales of ammunition to state residents is prohibited. Instead, ammunition sales must be conducted in person between a licensed firearms dealer or registered seller of ammunition and a customer, and records of each transaction, including age, occupation, and buyers’ residence, must be maintained.

“Shipping bullets to New Yorkers’ doorsteps is illegal, and ammunition sellers that ignore the law will face the full force of my office,” James said. “Online sales of ammunition are dangerous and could end up in the wrong hands. We are taking action to protect communities and enforce our responsible gun laws. Ammunition sellers must stop illegally bringing ammo into New York. My office will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the safety of everyday New Yorkers.”

In response, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) dispatched cease and desist orders to the ammunition sellers in question, demanding that they halt further shipments to New York. Those letters also warned of legal consequences if further violations of state law were found, including penalties of up to $5,000 per violation and disgorgement of income from illegal sales. While most companies involved were out-of-state sellers, two were violating the law despite being based in New York.

The New York OAG emphasized that it views online ammunition sales as unsafe and illegal, as they circumvent legal requirements meant to protect state residents. Earlier this year, both a lawsuit and similar cease and desist letters were sent to online gun retailers for advertising and selling ghost gun parts to New Yorkers as well.