LEADING THE WAY: California Legislature Passes Groundbreaking Legislation to Stop 3D-Printed Guns

AB 2047 Heads to Governor Newsom's Desk as 3D-Printed Guns and Illegal Gun Parts Are Increasingly Recovered Across California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Today, the California Legislature passed AB 2047, the Firearm Printing Prevention Act, groundbreaking legislation that will help address the growing threat of 3D-printed firearms by requiring consumer 3D printers sold in California to incorporate technology that identifies and blocks attempts to print firearms and illegal firearm parts. The bill now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk for his signature.

"The California legislature, which has long been a national leader on gun safety, just passed a groundbreaking bill to stop the spread of 3D-printed guns, which are just as scary as they sound," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. "We now urge Governor Newsom, an unwavering gun sense champion, to sign this bill and galvanize other states to take action against the growing threat of 3D-printed guns."

"I know firsthand what a ghost gun can take from a family and community when I was shot with one at Saugus High School, and two of my classmates, including my best friend Dominic, never came home," said Mia Tretta, a wounded gun violence survivor and Students Demand Action advisor. "Four years ago, I stood with Governor Newsom as California took historic action against ghost guns, and I said then that there was still more work to do. Today, that work means confronting the next generation of this threat. I'm grateful to every lawmaker who voted to protect our communities, and I urge Governor Newsom to once again lead the way by signing AB 2047 into law."

"California has spent years building some of the strongest gun safety laws in the country, and we cannot allow rapidly evolving technology to create a new way around them," said Sarah Berger, a volunteer with the California chapter of Moms Demand Action. "We are incredibly grateful to Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan for recognizing this emerging threat and championing a solution before it grows even more dangerous. We urge Governor Newsom to continue California's gun safety leadership and sign AB 2047 into law."

"Students are already seeing 3D-printed guns and gun parts show up in our schools and communities. We know this threat isn't hypothetical," said Justus Weatherspoon, a student leader with UC Davis Students Demand Action. "California has always led by looking ahead and taking on new threats to our safety. Governor Newsom now has the opportunity to keep California at the forefront of gun violence prevention by signing AB 2047 into law."

3D-printed firearms are the next wave of the ghost gun crisis. As 3D printers become cheaper, more capable and more accessible, people who cannot legally purchase firearms can increasingly circumvent California's gun safety laws by manufacturing untraceable guns and gun parts at home. Earlier this year, New York became the first state in the nation to pass legislation establishing safety standards for 3D printers to prevent the printing of illegal guns and gun parts.

In recent weeks, law enforcement across California has recovered 3D-printed firearms, firearm parts and manufacturing equipment in investigations involving convicted felons, machine gun conversion devices, firearms trafficking and other serious criminal activity.

This month, law enforcement in Monterey County recovered 3D-printed firearm parts alongside ghost guns, firearm conversion kits and suppressors from a convicted felon; in Madera County, investigators recovered a 3D printer believed to have been used to manufacture firearms along with approximately 100 homemade and illegally purchased firearm conversion devices; and in Orange County, deputies recovered 3D-printed handgun components during a proactive probation check. In July, a joint Modesto Police and ATF investigation recovered 105 machine gun conversion devices and a 3D-printed ghost gun.

These incidents follow other alarming cases across California this year, including the recovery of 38 ghost guns, including 3D-printed firearms, and two 3D printers from the home of a convicted felon in Felton; 3D-printed handgun frames and machine gun conversion devices during an investigation involving a 16-year-old San Diego student accused of supplying firearms; and 27 finished or nearly finished 3D-printed guns and two 3D printers from an 18-year-old's bedroom in San Jose.

The legislation has earned support from a broad coalition across California, including the Cities of Los Angeles, Alameda and Santa Rosa; California Police Chiefs Association; California Medical Association; California Federation of Teachers; San Diego County School Boards Association; medical professionals; local officials; educators; students; and gun violence prevention and community organizations.

AB 2047 would direct the California Department of Justice to determine whether ASTM International has published industry standards for firearm blocking technology. Once ASTM does so, the California Department of Justice has two years to adopt performance standards for 3D printers to be equipped with firearm-blocking technology following input from industry leaders, technical experts and academics. Manufacturers would then have time to bring their products into compliance before the retail sales requirement takes effect. The legislation focuses on future sales of consumer 3D printers and is designed to establish meaningful safeguards while minimizing disruption to legitimate uses of the technology.

California has already led the nation in taking on the first generation of ghost guns. In 2022, Governor Newsom signed landmark legislation to further regulate ghost guns, crack down on unlicensed firearm manufacturing and strengthen accountability for those who make and sell illegal ghost gun parts. AB 2047 is the next step in that work: preventing the next generation of ghost guns before they can be manufactured. With the bill now headed to his desk, Governor Newsom has another opportunity to keep California at the forefront of confronting emerging gun safety threats.