New York and California Consider Rules Requiring Firearm Detection in 3-D Printers

New York signed a law last month that directs a panel of experts to set standards for software capable of detecting firearm designs submitted to 3-D printers. A bill in the California Legislature would create a comparable review process. The measures would require 3-D printers sold for home or business use to include technology that compares submitted designs against a library of firearm parts and rejects matches.

Implementation would begin no earlier than 2029.

Background on 3-D-Printed Firearms About one-third of U.S. states already ban or regulate privately made firearms that lack serial numbers. The new approach targets the printers themselves rather than the individuals who operate them. The number of privately made guns recovered in crimes rose from roughly 1,600 in 2017 to nearly 27,500 in 2023, according to a U.S. Department of Justice report released last year.

Police in New York have linked a 3-D-printed firearm to the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare's chief executive.

Worldwide shipments of 3-D printers increased from an estimated 30,000 units in 2012 to more than 3 million units, while annual industry revenue grew from about $2 billion to $26 billion, according to the Association of 3D Printing. Experts at a recent online seminar described possible detection methods that analyze shapes and dimensions.

One technical account manager said geometric search technology is already deployed in other fields and could be adapted. A representative of the Association of 3D Printing said the group supports the legislation but believes the technology will not prevent determined users from circumventing controls.