Iowa is not only set to enact a law that prohibits financial institutions from using specific merchant codes on credit card transactions for gun purchases with firearms retailers, but will take it a step further and outright ban “state and local governmental agencies from keeping a record or registry of privately owned firearms”.

The legislation, House File 2464, recently cleared the final legislative hurdle when the Iowa House agreed to a Senate amendment. It now awaits Governor Kim Reynolds’ signature.

Under the proposed law, banks and credit card companies would be forbidden from using merchant codes that would single out firearms retailers from other types of merchants. Additionally, the bill would prohibit state and local government agencies from maintaining any registry of privately owned firearms, with exceptions only for records related to criminal investigations, legal proceedings or as mandated by other laws.

The bill also stipulates that law enforcement agencies may keep lists of stolen firearms that have been reported as such.

The Iowa Attorney General’s Office is tasked with overseeing compliance, authorized to investigate breaches and pursue civil actions in district court to prevent further violations. Entities found in violation would have 60 days to rectify the issue, with continued non-compliance potentially leading to civil penalties up to $1,000 per incident.

Supporters argue that the bill is a preventative measure against infringement on privacy and Second Amendment rights, citing moves by major credit card companies to introduce a merchant code for firearm and ammunition retailers following a new law in California. This law enables the tracking of potentially suspicious gun purchases, with the intention of reporting these to law enforcement.

This legislative action comes despite statements from lobbyists indicating that credit card companies had no plans to implement such codes in Iowa. But gun owners are all too aware of the slippery slope such laws and policies tend to have as one law justifies the creation and expansion of another based off legal precedent.

No thanks say Iowa’s Republicans.

Critics of the Iowa bill, primarily Democrats, have expressed skepticism about its necessity. During debates, Rep. David Jacoby of Coraville questioned the immediacy and relevance of the perceived problem the bill aims to address. In response, Rep. Ray Sorensen of Greenfield indicated that while no specific incidents prompted the bill, it serves as a preemptive safeguard.

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28 COMMENTS

  1. Lol at Democrats objecting to a bill as “unnecessary.”

    I like Iowa. On my short list should NH collapse into a Massbole hellscape like ME and VT did.

    • Iowa’s great. South Dakota’s better. No state income tax and the speed limit is 80.

    • yes. the thiessens in ames has kept me well stocked. i had to make the trip a dozen times over four years.

  2. I would like SOMEONE to explain how this will stop 4473’s from being turned in when gun stores close (which IS the registry). That doesn’t even begin to touch the (electronic) registry now being put in place not only for NFA items but for the 4473 aswell.

    Every fears the combination of the words ‘gun’ and ‘registry’ without a single thought as to what has been put together for decades.

    Tell me again how the computer kiosk is NOT keeping records on a cloud server owned by the ATF the next time you buy a suppressor.

    Of course the left says it isn’t necessary. It just might be because it isn’t.

    • I don’t think this is intended to reign in the ATF. More to prevent financial institutions from instituting ‘social credit scores’ that punish gun owners.

  3. Good for them, but it does nothing to stop anyone shopping online for gun parts from being added to the watch lists. Even mister Fudd that replaced a spring for an old Henry trigger with one from Numrich is already on that list.

    Our government needs an enema.

  4. The problem is Credit Cards.
    Eventually hard currency will be no more.
    *klick klick*
    Oh’ you had Hash Browns a BLTand two cups of coffee at Joe’s Bar&Grill 08:47 the 19th of April 2027.

    • 2 cups puts you over the FDA recommended limit. Which raised flags at CDC, who alerted DHS, and that explains the ATF’s “visit”. Sorry about your dog.

    • 911 is a tool. Nothing more. It is great for certain things and not so much for others. It is not meant to be the cure-all for everything bad that happens in life. The service is absolutely handy and has saved many lives. But there are limitations in the technology. Those limitations mean it doesn’t matter if it’s a cut fiber from a negligent contractor, the system getting over loaded, or understaffed.

      • 911, What’s your emergency?
        “My friend fell out of his tree stand, I think he’s dead.”
        Okay, first make sure he’s dead.
        “Uhh okay.”
        Click clack
        *BOOM*
        “He’s dead alright, now what do I do?”

  10. “Critics of the Iowa bill, primarily Democrats, have expressed skepticism about its necessity.”
    These critics don’t believe in preparation for future events or embrace the Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared”.
    No, they want to wait until things get really terrible and then blame others for doing nothing or for not doing enough. At which time they only want to pass more laws that don’t begin to address the issues at hand.

    • I can’t speak for other critics. I can say the from what I’ve read in this article, it ignores the problem. Like so many other so-called efforts. Gun registries have already been made illegal. I see no reason to pile new laws ontop of old ones just to achieve the same need for more laws. This whole thing is crazy. Just deal with the problem.

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