California Passes First-of-Its-Kind Bill to Stop the Proliferation of 3D-Printed Ghost Guns

SACRAMENTO, CA, September 9, 2025 — Brady, the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention group, applauds the California State Legislature for passing SB 704 last night. This landmark legislation will impose background checks on the purchase of firearm barrels — essential components needed to complete unserialized, untraceable 3D-printed ghost guns. This Brady-sponsored legislation was championed and shepherded through the legislative process by Senator Jesse Arreguín and Assemblywoman Catherine Stefani.

This legislation ensures that those looking to skirt the law by 3D printing ghost gun components will be required to undergo a background check before purchasing an industrially manufactured firearm barrel. Firearm barrels are the only parts of a functional firearm that cannot effectively be produced using a 3D printer. Currently, these barrels are entirely unregulated and can be purchased online or in-store without a background check or any restrictions.

Brady President Kris Brown said:

Too often, we’re playing catch-up: passing and implementing laws only after new forms of gun violence have already taken root in our communities. With this leap forward, California is once again leading the nation — this time by innovating to address the rising public health threat of 3D-printed ghost guns. By acting now, California is setting the standard for proactive policies that prevent gun violence before communities are forced to bear the cost of legislative inaction. The passage of this bill is just the latest example of cutting edge solutions in a state whose elected leaders regularly demonstrate dedication to fighting the illegal gun market and reducing gun deaths. 

Requiring instant background checks on firearm barrels is a practical solution to prevent the growing threat of illegal 3D-printed firearms in the hands of those seeking to inflict harm. Brady Background Checks have stopped over 5 million transfers of firearms to prohibited individuals, and we know this saves lives. With no foreseeable federal response by the gun lobby’s allies in Washington, D.C., to this emerging problem, we urge Governor Newsom to sign this commonsense, forward-thinking bill into law without delay.

Brady Senior Programs & Policy Advisor and Former Chief of the California Department of Justice's Bureau of Firearms Steve Lindley added: 

After California started ensuring ghost guns could only be purchased by individuals able to pass a background check, those looking to circumvent the law pivoted to 3D printing these firearms. Firearm barrels remain difficult to reproduce using a 3D printer, but right now, anyone off the street can simply walk into a gun dealer, purchase a factory-produced barrel, and attach it to an unserialized, untraceable 3D-printed ghost gun. This bill will enable California to prevent the emergence of a new marketplace of these illegal, made-at-home weapons and allow the state to preserve the effectiveness of gun safety laws already on the books.