Ala. Code § 5-29-3 (2026)
Prohibition Against Governmental Entities Creating or Maintaining Registry of Certain Firearms, Etc.; Use of Firearms Codes Prohibited in Certain Circumstances.
(Act 2024-232, §3.)
- (a) Except for records kept during the regular course of a criminal investigation or prosecution or as otherwise required by law, a governmental entity or agent or employee of a governmental entity shall not knowingly keep or cause to be kept any list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or the owners of firearms.
- (b) Except as provided in subsections (d) and (e), a payment card network or agent of a payment card network shall not require the use of a firearms code in a way that distinguishes a firearm retailer from other retailers.
- (c) Except as provided in subsections (d) and (e), a financial institution or agent of a financial institution shall not decline a payment card transaction involving a firearm retailer based solely on an assignment of a firearms code.
(d) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a payment card network or financial institution from declining or otherwise refusing to process a payment card transaction for any of the following reasons:
- (1) To comply with applicable state or federal law.
- (2) To comply with a request by a customer.
- (3) To comply with fraud, credit, or compliance controls.
- (4) For the purpose of merchant category exclusions offered by a financial institution for expenditure control or corporate card control.
- (5) To restrict the use or availability of a firearms code in this state.
(e) Nothing in this section shall limit the authority of a financial institution or payment card network to negotiate with responsible parties or otherwise impair a financial institution’s actions related to any of the following:
- (1) Dispute processing.
- (2) Fraud risk, compliance, credit management, or other controls in the ordinary course of business operations.
- (3) Protecting against illegal activities, breach, or cyber risks.
- (4) Restricting the use or availability of a firearms code in this state.
(Act 2024-232, §3.)