A National Database for Sudafed, but No Background Check for Ammo?

Claim: Those buying ammunition in the United States are not subject to a background check, but anyone who buys certain nasal decongestants is added to a national database.

Rating: Mostly True

What’s True

Federal law does not require background checks for ammunition purchases, and neither do the vast majority of states. In the vast majority of states, anyone who buys a nasal decongestant containing pseudoephedrine is added to a database, and law enforcement officers can access details about those buyers. However …

What’s False

A handful of states have introduced background checks for ammunition purchases; the federal government has not established an official, uniform national database of pseudoephedrine purchases.