Gun and ammunition dealers at about 20 retail locations in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are facing stricter regulations as a result of a new ordinance initially approved by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Oct. 24.
The ordinance applies to retail stores and is part of a series of gun control measures adopted by the board in the past year, led by Fourth District Supervisor and board chair Janice Hahn.
“We need to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands and part of that effort is ensuring gun and ammunition dealers are acting responsibly,” said Hahn.
There are 18 gun dealers and two ammunition dealers operating in county areas that are not within cities, according to Hahn’s office.
The new ordinance would for the first time require ammunition dealers to get a specific business license and comply with the same set of requirements as gun dealers. “Before now, we didn’t know how many ammunition dealers we had in the county,” Hahn said.
New mandatory requirements for gun stores include the following:
• Minors are prohibited from entering a store that sells guns unless they are accompanied by an adult.
• Each gun sale must be logged. Fingerprints of customers purchasing firearms or ammunition must be taken and kept in a fingerprint log. Sales must be kept in an inventory report.
• Stores must install security cameras to record sales and put up signs that warn customers about the potential dangers of owning or having access to a gun.
• Any dealer whose license is suspended or revoked will be publicly posted by the county’s Treasurer and Tax Collector on the department website.
In addition, gun and ammunition sellers will face higher fees. The cost of a first-year business license will increase from $739 to $954. The cost of an annual renewal will be raised from $299 to $577, according to a staff report.
“These are common sense regulations that will make sure gun dealers have basic security measures in place,…
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