California’s official lead-free ammo list is published by the Department of Fish and Wildlife at wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Nonlead-Ammunition/Certified.1California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Certified Nonlead Ammunition Since July 1, 2019, anyone taking wildlife with a firearm anywhere in California, on public or private land, must use ammunition from that list or a shotgun load using federally approved nontoxic shot.2California Legislative Information. California Fish and Game Code FGC 3004.5
How To Use the CDFW Certified List
The list is organized by manufacturer. Click a manufacturer’s name and a document opens showing every certified product from that company, with caliber designations, product names, and catalog numbers.
To confirm a specific box of ammunition is compliant, match two things against the listing: the manufacturer name and the exact product or catalog number printed on the packaging (the SKU or UPC). Brand alone is not enough. A single manufacturer often sells both certified and non-certified products across its lineup, so a familiar name on the box tells you nothing by itself.
CDFW is required to update the list at least once a year, and additions can happen more often as new products are certified.3Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 250.1 Check it close to your hunt rather than relying on a printout from last season.
What Qualifies as Certified Nonlead
Under California’s implementing regulation, a projectile qualifies as nonlead if it contains no more than one percent lead by weight.3Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 250.1 Conventional copper-jacketed bullets with lead cores do not clear that bar, because the lead core makes up most of the bullet’s mass. Compliant projectiles are typically solid copper, gilding metal, or copper-zinc alloys.
Shotgun hunters have a second path. Any shotgun load using pellets approved as nontoxic by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is automatically considered certified in California, whether or not it appears on the CDFW list.3Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 250.1 The federally approved shot materials are:
- Steel (iron), the most widely available and affordable option
- Bismuth-tin, softer than steel and safe for older shotgun barrels
- Tungsten alloys, including tungsten-iron, tungsten-matrix, tungsten-polymer, and tungsten-bronze composites
- Copper-clad iron
Approved coatings such as copper, nickel, tin, zinc, and fluoropolymer finishes do not affect nontoxic status.4U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Nontoxic Shot Regulations for Hunting Waterfowl and Coots in the U.S. Look for “nontoxic” on the shotshell box to confirm the load uses an approved shot type.
If Your Ammunition Isn’t on the List
Do not assume an unlisted product qualifies, even if the packaging says lead-free or copper. Either switch to a listed product or contact the manufacturer to ask whether they have submitted a certification application to CDFW. Newly approved products sometimes take time to appear on the published list.
Penalties for Using Lead Ammunition
Hunting with lead ammunition in California is an infraction. A first offense carries a $500 fine. A second or subsequent offense carries a fine between $1,000 and $5,000.2California Legislative Information. California Fish and Game Code FGC 3004.5 A citation can also affect your hunting privileges.
Field Inspections and the Personal Protection Exception
Wildlife officers can inspect all ammunition in your possession while you are hunting. If an officer suspects a round is lead and you cannot show otherwise on the spot, the officer may seize a cartridge or projectile for laboratory analysis.5California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Nonlead Ammunition in California Keep the original box in the field. Packaging marked with the manufacturer name, product line, and a lead-free or nonlead designation is the fastest way to resolve a question during a check.
There is one narrow exception to the possession rule. You may carry a concealable firearm loaded with lead ammunition strictly for personal protection while hunting, provided you do not use that firearm to take or assist in taking wildlife.3Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 250.1 Outside that exception, carrying lead ammunition alongside any firearm capable of firing it while hunting is a violation, whether or not you intended to use it.
Possessing lead ammunition for which you have no firearm present is not a violation. A rifle hunter carrying lead pistol ammunition without a pistol on them, for instance, is not in violation.3Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 250.1 The cleanest approach is to leave lead ammunition at home on any hunting trip.