Privacy Law Library

Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act

AL 2A Financial Privacy Act

Financial

Stops payment card networks from requiring the firearms-retailer merchant category code in a way that singles out gun sellers, and stops financial institutions from declining transactions solely because of that code. It also bars state and local governments from keeping lists or registries of privately owned firearms or their owners, outside criminal investigations or as required by law.

Where
Alabama
Citation
Ala. Code §§ 5-29-1 to 5-29-4 (Act 2024-232, SB281)
Status
In force
In force since
2024-10-01
Enforced by
Alabama Attorney General (exclusive)
People can sue
No
Penalties
After written notice, a violator has 60 business days to stop; the AG must then seek an injunction, with court costs and attorney fees. Purposeful failure to comply with an injunction after 30 business days can bring civil fines of up to $1,000 per violation. The AG's remedies are exclusive.
Applies to
  • Payment card networks and financial institutions (banks, credit unions, acquirers, card issuers) that facilitate or process payment card transactions
  • State and local governmental entities (bar on firearm registries)

Practices it requires

  • Payment card networks may not require use of a firearms merchant category code in a way that distinguishes firearm retailers from other retailers.Ala. Code § 5-29-3(b)
  • Financial institutions may not decline a payment card transaction with a firearm retailer based solely on assignment of a firearms code, subject to fraud, compliance, legal, and customer-request exceptions.Ala. Code § 5-29-3(c)-(e)
  • Governmental entities may not knowingly keep a list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or their owners, except in criminal investigations or as required by law.Ala. Code § 5-29-3(a)

Sources

Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.

Unverified: Effective date October 1, 2024 is from the ALISON bill record for SB281 (2024RS). The bill title mentions disclosure of financial information about firearms transactions; the codified sections reviewed contain no separate disclosure ban beyond the code and registry rules.

Research reference, not legal advice.