The credit card gun code: where federal and state law stand

In 2022 the International Organization for Standardization approved a merchant category code, 5723, for firearms and ammunition retailers. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover paused putting it into use in 2023, and since then the fight has moved to legislatures.

In Congress

On July 14, 2026, the House passed H.R. 1181, the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act, 221 to 201. It would bar payment card networks and other covered entities from requiring or assigning a code that singles out firearms retailers, and it would preempt state laws on the subject. It is now in the Senate, which had not voted on it when this was published.

In the states

The states have gone both ways. California’s AB 1587 requires the code, with acquirers required to assign it to firearms retailers from May 1, 2025. NSSF counted 20 states with laws barring the code as of May 2025, including Texas, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee and Utah. Enforcement differs: Texas lets its attorney general investigate, and West Virginia lets consumers and merchants sue.

What it means for your shop

• Ask your processor which merchant category code your account carries, especially if you are in California or sell to buyers there.
• Read your processor agreement for firearms terms. A code is one issue; a processor that will not serve firearms dealers at all is a bigger one.
• Keep your sales records in your own systems, where you control them.
• Watch the Senate. If H.R. 1181 becomes law, one federal rule replaces the state patchwork.

Choosing a processor in the first place is its own topic: what online checkout has to handle for an FFL.

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