BACKDOOR Registry Scheme — Missouri Fights Back

Missouri lawmakers are taking a bold stand against financial surveillance of gun owners, pushing legislation that would criminalize credit card tracking systems designed to monitor Second Amendment purchases.

Story Snapshot

Senate Bill 1128 prohibits financial institutions from using specialized codes to track firearm and ammunition purchases
Missouri joins 20 other states fighting back against de facto gun registry schemes through payment networks
NRA and sportsmen’s groups mobilized supporters ahead of February 9 committee hearing
Bill bans discrimination against firearm retailers and blocks government firearm registries

Financial Surveillance Threatens Constitutional Rights

Senate Bill 1128, known as the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act, directly confronts a growing threat to gun owners’ constitutional rights. The legislation targets Merchant Category Codes assigned by payment giants like Visa and Mastercard, which enable tracking of every firearm and ammunition purchase made with credit cards. These tracking mechanisms create precisely what the Second Amendment was designed to prevent: government knowledge of who owns what firearms. The bill explicitly prohibits financial institutions from using these specialized codes and bans discrimination against Missouri firearm retailers.

The Backdoor Registry Scheme

Gun-control advocates have increasingly pressured payment networks to implement firearm-specific tracking codes, creating what amounts to a financial backdoor registry. Unlike general merchandise codes, these specialized identifiers flag purchases specifically from firearm retailers, generating databases of gun buyers without requiring traditional government registration. The NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action warns these codes enable “de facto registries” that circumvent constitutional protections. Twenty states have already recognized this threat and enacted similar protective legislation, establishing precedent for Missouri’s effort to shield lawful gun owners from corporate surveillance partnering with anti-gun activists.

Missouri Bill Seeks to Protect Gun Owner Privacy

Every state should do this!
We're sick and tired of being vilified for owning firearms.

2A shall not be infringed!

From the article:

Guns aren't cheap items, generally. Even a cheap pistol is around $150, and that's for… pic.twitter.com/wRLKFiTVpF

— NWRain-Judi (@RYboating) February 11, 2026

Committee Hearing Draws Advocacy Mobilization

The Senate Transportation, Infrastructure, and Public Safety Committee heard testimony on February 9, 2026, at 2:30 p.m., with pro-Second Amendment groups rallying supporters through coordinated “TAKE ACTION” campaigns. The NRA-ILA and Sportsmen’s Alliance urged Missourians to contact committee members, framing the bill as essential defense against extremist gun-control tactics. Both organizations emphasized the legislation protects not just firearm purchases but also ammunition and accessories, closing loopholes that could enable surveillance of shooting sports enthusiasts and hunters. The hearing featured live streaming, allowing remote participation in this critical privacy battle.

Broader Implications for Financial Freedom

Beyond immediate privacy protections, SB 1128 addresses the concerning trend of financial “de-banking” targeting firearm retailers and related businesses. Financial institutions have increasingly refused services to gun-related enterprises under pressure from activist campaigns, threatening the economic viability of lawful commerce. This legislation would prohibit such discrimination in Missouri, protecting retailers from being frozen out of payment networks for exercising constitutional rights. The Sportsmen’s Alliance specifically highlighted how tracking threatens sportsmen’s credit card privacy rights, recognizing that financial surveillance chills lawful activity when citizens fear their purchases create permanent government-accessible records.

Constitutional Firewall Against Overreach

The bill’s prohibition on government firearm registries reinforces existing constitutional protections while closing modern technological loopholes. By preventing state and local entities from maintaining databases of privately owned firearms or their owners, Missouri would join states resisting incremental erosions of Second Amendment freedoms. This approach recognizes that registration historically precedes confiscation in other nations, making registry prevention a fundamental liberty safeguard. As Missouri considers this legislation, it continues the trend of states asserting sovereignty over constitutional rights against federal-level tracking mechanisms and corporate collaboration with gun-control agendas. The bill represents common-sense protection for millions of law-abiding Missourians who refuse to be surveilled for exercising fundamental rights.