Governor Hochul unveils proposals to crack down on 3-D printed and illegal firearms

ALBANY, NY- As part of the 2026 State of the State agenda, Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled proposals to strengthen New York’s nation leading gun laws by cracking down on 3D-printed and illegal firearms.

The new legislation, according to the Governor’s office, would establish criminal penalties for the manufacture of 3D-printed firearms and order minimum safety standards to be established for 3D printer manufacturers to block the production of firearms and firearm components.

“Public safety is my top priority. When I took office, I made a promise to New Yorkers to attack the gun violence epidemic head-on, and as gun technology continues to evolve, so do our strongest-in-the-nation gun laws,” Governor Hochul said.

“From the iron pipeline to the plastic pipeline, these proposals will keep illegal ghost guns off of New York streets, and enhance measures to track and block the production of dangerous and illegal firearms in our state. I remain committed to continuing the progress we saw in 2025 to reduce gun violence in New York and ensuring our laws remain the strongest and safest in the nation.”

In addition, this proposed legislation would also require gun manufacturers to design their pistols so they cannot be quickly and easily modified into illegal machine guns, and require police departments and sheriffs’ offices to report recoveries of all 3D printed guns to the state.

New legislation proposed to continue the progress New York State has made in cracking down on 3D printed guns and ghost guns would:

• Make it a crime for a person to intentionally sell, distribute, or possess digital instructions to illegally manufacture or produce a firearm or component parts without a license.
• Mandate the reporting of 3D printed guns to the Criminal Gun Clearinghouse database maintained by the New York State Police.
• Create a first-in-the-nation policy that requires the establishment of minimum safety standards for 3D printer manufacturers to ensure their products are equipped with technology that blocks the printer from creating firearms and component parts.
• Require gun manufacturers to design pistols so they cannot be quickly and easily modified into DIY machine guns through the use of illegal devices, such as Glock switches.

Image via the office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul.