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Hochul Unveils Plan to Crack Down on 3D-Printed Guns With File Ban and First-in-the-Nation Printer Rules

The proposals now move to the Legislature, signaling a push to regulate digital blueprints alongside consumer 3D printers.

Overview

  • The package would make it a crime to sell, distribute, or possess digital instructions for illegally manufacturing firearms or parts without a license.
  • Manufacturers of 3D printers would be required to include technology that blocks the printing of guns and components, a policy billed as a first in the nation.
  • Police and sheriffs’ offices would have to report recoveries of 3D-printed weapons to the State Police’s Criminal Gun Clearinghouse database.
  • Gunmakers would need to design pistols that cannot be quickly converted to automatic fire using illegal devices such as Glock switches.
  • The plan, part of Hochul’s 2026 State of the State agenda, has support from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and is expected to draw opposition from gun-rights groups.