An increasing number of states are moving to clamp down on 3D-printed firearms as they navigate a contentious debate over so-called ghost guns and the Second Amendment.
In a bid to regulate ghost guns—firearms lacking serial numbers and often created or altered via 3D printing—states from both political aisles are enacting restrictions. However, Second Amendment proponents argue that such measures infringe upon their constitutional rights, according to a Thursday report by Stateline.
As of now, 16 states have enacted laws concerning 3D-printed guns, with seven of these states rolling out significant legislation just this year, Stateline reveals.
The report highlights that in 2026, states like Colorado, New Jersey, Maine, New York, Virginia, and Washington are set to enforce various constraints on firearms without serial numbers. Meanwhile, California is looking to strengthen its stringent gun laws by advancing legislation requiring 3D printer manufacturers to incorporate technology that prevents the production of firearms.
Similarly, New York has incorporated a comparable law into its state budget, slated to take effect by mid-June. Manhattan’s Democratic District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, likened the law to existing regulations that prevent the reproduction of U.S. currency by commercial and consumer printers.
“We’re going to put technology into our machines such that they will not be a 3D gun. Much like, you know, we don’t have, you know, commercial printers that print US currency,” Bragg told ABC 7 Eyewitness News.
In January, Maine’s legislature passed a bill requiring serial numbers on all firearms, including 3D-manufactured guns. The same month, former New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed Bill A4975, which requires state residents to own a firearms license to even possess instructions or blueprints to print a 3D firearm.
Colorado and Virginia also passed similar laws against weapons without serial numbers, while a Washington state law that Gov. Bob Ferguson signed in March restricted the ability for residents to possess the serial-free weapons while also imposing constraints on the digital blueprints and devices that would manufacture the 3D guns.
A Minnesota legislative package considering a wide slate of restrictions failed to pass the statehouse in March.
The impetus to restrict the DIY ordinance coincides with a sharp rise in 3D-printed guns recovered at crime scenes.
Data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) shows the bureau recovered over 27,000 3D-printed ghost guns from crime scenes in January 2023 compared to just over 1,600 recovered in January 2017.
Proponents for stricter gun laws argue the rise of 3D-printed weapons increases the likelihood of adverse shootings in American communities.
“As 3D-printing technology becomes more affordable and accessible, young people are increasingly able to manufacture their own firearms — often without the knowledge of the adults in their lives. As schools purchase 3D printers and train students how to use them, the problem of 3D guns is now entering the classroom as well,” a statement on the Everytown For Gun Safety website says.
Others, however, argue that placing restrictions on the weapons violated Second Amendment rights and that bans don’t fundamentally impact public safety.
“The gun is not the problem. The individual committing the crime is the problem,” William Sack, the senior director of legal operations at the Second Amendment Foundation, told Stateline
Several states with restrictions are facing constitutional lawsuits. In February, a three-judge panel on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit dealt a blow to the constitutional argument, siding with the state of New Jersey in a case against Texas-based 3D-gun blueprint designed by Defense Distributed.
The Third Circuit upheld a lower court ruling that affirmed a cease and desist that New Jersey’s attorney general delivered to Defense Distributed, ordering the company to stop distributing gun-printing blueprints to unlicensed individuals.
Defense Distributed’s legal team is asking the court to take up the case again and will petition the Supreme Court if unsuccessful, according to the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs.