New York law targets 3D-printed guns by blocking printer software
A first-of-its-kind requirement would force 3D printers sold in homes and businesses to detect gun designs, as privately made firearms increasingly turn up in crimes.
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New York could force 3D printers sold for homes and businesses to come equipped with software that blocks them from making gun parts, making it the first state to target the equipment rather than the people producing untraceable firearms.
The new requirement, also under consideration in California, attempts to prevent what law enforcement calls "ghost guns"—privately made firearms without serial numbers that evade background checks. About one-third of U.S. states have taken steps to ban or regulate build-it-yourself firearms, but New York and California would be unique in requiring the blocking technology be built into the machines themselves.
Privately made guns are increasingly showing up in crimes. The number of privately made guns recovered in crimes and submitted to federal authorities rose from about 1,600 in 2017 to nearly 27,500 in 2023, though the report didn't specify how many came from 3D printers. In a high-profile New York case in 2024, police say a 3D-printed gun likely was used to kill UnitedHealthcare's CEO.
Three-dimensional printers have become far more affordable over the past two decades. The industry has grown from an estimated 30,000 printers worldwide in 2012 to over 3 million today, while the market's value has multiplied from around $2 billion to $26 billion annually, according to Bill Decker, executive chairman of the Association of 3D Printing. Some printers now cost just several hundred dollars.
Questions remain about whether the blocking technology can actually work and concerns about its effect on personal privacy and constitutional rights.