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Which states regulate ghost guns?

13 states have adopted this policy

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

Ghost Guns Regulated

Alabama has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Alaska has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Arizona has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

California has adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, all ghost guns must be reported to officials.

Ghost Guns Regulated

Colorado has adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
Serial numbers for component parts.

Ghost Guns Regulated

Connecticut has adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, all ghost guns must be reported to officials, no plastic undetectable guns.

Ghost Guns Regulated

Delaware has adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, no plastic undetectable guns, no 3D printing of guns, no distribution of 3D printing instructions.

Ghost Guns Regulated

Florida has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Georgia has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Hawaii has adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, all ghost guns must be reported to officials, no 3D printing of guns.

Ghost Guns Regulated

Idaho has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Illinois has adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
Serial numbers and background checks for all firearms and component parts.

Ghost Guns Regulated

Indiana has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Iowa has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Kansas has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Maine has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Maryland has adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
Serial numbers and background checks for all firearms and component parts. All ghost guns must be reported to officials.

Ghost Guns Regulated

Massachusetts has not adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
No plastic undetectable guns

Ghost Guns Regulated

Michigan has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Minnesota has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Missouri has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Montana has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Nevada has adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
Serial numbers and background checks for component parts

Ghost Guns Regulated

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

New Jersey has adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, all ghost guns must be reported to officials, no 3D printing of guns, no distribution of 3D printing instructions, no plastic undetectable guns.

Ghost Guns Regulated

New Mexico has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

New York has adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, all ghost guns must be reported to officials, no plastic undetectable guns.

Ghost Guns Regulated

North Carolina has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Ohio has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Oregon has adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
Prohibits undetectable firearms, including 3D printed guns; requires all firearms, frames, and receivers to be serialized

Ghost Guns Regulated

Pennsylvania has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Rhode Island has adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, no 3D printing of guns

Ghost Guns Regulated

South Carolina has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Tennessee has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Texas has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Utah has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Vermont has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Virginia has not adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
No plastic undetectable guns

Ghost Guns Regulated

Washington has adopted this policy

What does the state law require?
Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, no plastic undetectable guns

Ghost Guns Regulated

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

Ghost Guns Regulated

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

What It Does

Ghost guns are do-it-yourself, homemade guns, produced with simple building blocks available online. In May 2021, the federal government proposed a rule that would finally clarify that these parts qualify as traditional firearms, and must be sold with serial numbers and background checks. Several states have also acted, including with requirements that all ghost guns must be reported to officials. The strongest laws also regulate the spread of guns that can be made with 3-D printers. A full discussion on Ghost Guns is here. 

The Impact

The number of ghost guns recovered by law enforcement in the US has increased at an alarming rate—rising 398% from 2016 to 2020. Nearly 24,000 ghost guns were recovered across the country during that five-year period.

Ghost Guns Regulated

Policy adopted? What does the state law require?
Alabama —
Alaska —
Arizona —
Arkansas —
California Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, all ghost guns must be reported to officials.
Colorado Serial numbers for component parts.
Connecticut Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, all ghost guns must be reported to officials, no plastic undetectable guns.
Delaware Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, no plastic undetectable guns, no 3D printing of guns, no distribution of 3D printing instructions.
Florida —
Georgia —
Hawaii Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, all ghost guns must be reported to officials, no 3D printing of guns.
Idaho —
Illinois Serial numbers and background checks for all firearms and component parts.
Indiana —
Iowa —
Kansas —
Kentucky —
Louisiana —
Maine —
Maryland Serial numbers and background checks for all firearms and component parts. All ghost guns must be reported to officials.
Massachusetts No plastic undetectable guns
Michigan —
Minnesota —
Mississippi —
Missouri —
Montana —
Nebraska —
Nevada Serial numbers and background checks for component parts
New Hampshire —
New Jersey Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, all ghost guns must be reported to officials, no 3D printing of guns, no distribution of 3D printing instructions, no plastic undetectable guns.
New Mexico —
New York Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, all ghost guns must be reported to officials, no plastic undetectable guns.
North Carolina —
North Dakota —
Ohio —
Oklahoma —
Oregon Prohibits undetectable firearms, including 3D printed guns; requires all firearms, frames, and receivers to be serialized
Pennsylvania —
Rhode Island Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, no 3D printing of guns
South Carolina —
South Dakota —
Tennessee —
Texas —
Utah —
Vermont —
Virginia No plastic undetectable guns
Washington Serial numbers and background checks for component parts, no plastic undetectable guns
West Virginia —
Wisconsin —
Wyoming —
Show Citations and Footnotes 
Source: Cal. Penal Code § 29180; 2019 CT H 7219; Del. Code Ann. tit. 11, §§ 222, 1459, 1459A, 1462, 1463; Haw. Rev. Stat. § 134-10.2; 720 ILCS 5/24-5.1; Md. PUBLIC SAEFTY Code Ann. §§ 5-701, et. seq.; 2021 NV AB 286; N.J. Stat. Ann. §§ 2C:39-9(k), 2C:39-3(n), 2C:39-9(l), (n); N.Y. Penal Law §§ 265.01, 265.07; ORS §§ 166.250 - 166.270; 11 R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-2; Wash. Rev. Code § 9.41.190. 

398%/24,000: “Definition of ‘Frame or Receiver’ and Identification of Firearms, Proposed Rule by the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau 2021R–05,” Federal Register 86 no. 97 (May 21, 2021): 27720–27753, https://bit.ly/3k5xAVy.

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