The War on Toy Guns Continues... WALMART Faces $16,000 Fine for Shipping Toy Gun to New York

Walmart Faces $16,000 Fine for Shipping Realistic Toy Guns to New York, Violating State Law

New York, NY – June 1, 2025 – Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, has agreed to pay a $16,000 civil penalty following an investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James, which revealed the company facilitated the shipment of realistic-looking toy guns to addresses across the state, in violation of New York’s strict imitation firearm laws.

The investigation, conducted by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), found that between March 2020 and November 2023, third-party sellers on Walmart’s online marketplace sold nearly 50 imitation weapons that failed to comply with state regulations. New York law prohibits the sale or distribution of toy guns in realistic colors such as black, dark blue, silver, or aluminum, requiring instead that they be made in bright colors or transparent materials to distinguish them from real firearms. The OAG confirmed that Walmart shipped at least nine of these prohibited items to addresses in New York City, Westchester County, and Western New York.

“Realistic-looking toy guns can put communities in serious danger, and that is why they are banned in New York,” Attorney General Letitia James said in a press release. “Walmart failed to prevent its third-party sellers from selling realistic-looking toy guns to New York addresses, violating our laws and putting people at risk.”

As part of the settlement, Walmart will pay $14,000 in penalties and an additional $2,000 in fees to the state. The retail giant has also agreed to implement stricter controls to ensure third-party sellers on its platform cannot sell imitation toy guns to New York residents. Businesses that violate New York’s toy gun regulations can face fines of up to $1,000 per violation.

While Walmart did not admit or deny the findings, a company spokesperson stated, “We are committed to complying with all laws, and we have processes in place to ensure products offered for sale by third-party sellers on our marketplace comply with all applicable laws,” according to a report by CNBC.

This settlement comes nearly a decade after Walmart, alongside other retailers like Amazon and Sears, entered into a consent order with New York’s previous attorney general, agreeing to halt the sale of realistic toy guns in the state and paying over $300,000 in civil penalties.

Attorney General James urged consumers to remain vigilant and report any instances of realistic-looking toy guns being sold in stores or online for shipment to New York by filing a complaint with her office.

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