Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has signed a new law that explicitly prohibits most people from using 3D printers to create firearms or gun parts, expanding the state’s efforts to regulate so-called “ghost guns.”
The measure, HB26-1144, bans the use of 3D printing to manufacture potentially functioning firearms, unfinished frames or receivers, large-capacity magazines, and rapid-fire devices. Under the law, a first offense is a class 1 misdemeanor, while repeat violations can be charged as a class 5 felony. The law includes exceptions for federally licensed firearm manufacturers, accredited gunsmithing programs, instructors, and students.
Supporters say the law is designed to close a loophole created by fast-changing technology. They argue that 3D printers can be used to make untraceable weapons or components that bypass background checks, serial-number requirements, and other public-safety safeguards. Gun-safety advocates praised the signing as a step toward limiting the spread of homemade firearms and illegal gun parts.
The new law builds on Colorado’s 2023 ghost-gun law, SB23-279, which restricted unserialized firearms and firearm components. That earlier law prohibits the manufacture of firearm frames or receivers unless the manufacturer is federally licensed, and it also bars possession, sale, transfer, or purchase of certain unserialized firearms and unfinished frames or receivers.
Opponents are expected to challenge the new restriction in court, arguing that it infringes on Second Amendment rights and limits lawful home gunsmithing. Similar Colorado gun measures have already drawn lawsuits, including legal challenges to the state’s ghost-gun restrictions and other firearm regulations.
The legal debate is likely to center on whether the state can regulate the method of making a firearm — in this case, 3D printing — without violating constitutional protections. Gun-rights advocates argue that building firearms at home has historical roots, while supporters of the law say modern 3D printing creates new risks because weapons and components can be produced quickly and without traceable serial numbers.
Colorado’s action comes as states across the country continue to grapple with homemade firearms, digital gun files, and the growing availability of advanced manufacturing tools. For lawmakers backing the measure, the law is a response to an emerging public-safety concern. For opponents, it is another sign of what they view as expanding state restrictions on gun ownership.
With court challenges expected, Colorado’s 3D-printed gun law may soon become part of a broader national legal fight over technology, firearms, and constitutional rights.