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Illustration depicting the parts of a ghost gun, a DIY gun a do-it-yourself, homemade gun made from easy-to-get, unregulated building blocks
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Myths & Facts About Ghost Guns

Ghost guns are one of the fastest growing threats to gun safety, which is why thousands of our supporters have urged the ATF to take action. These untraceable firearms are showing up at more crime scenes across the country—including in school shootings. And because they can be bought in kit form with no background check and no questions asked, they’ve become a weapon of choice for criminals and gun traffickers.

Myth

The ATF treats ghost guns as they would any other type of gun.

Fact

For years, the ATF looked the other way as companies sold ghost gun kits and unfinished frames or receivers without following the same rules as firearms. Yet the only difference between these ghost gun kits and parts and fully functional firearms is a few tools, a couple of hours of work, and no serial number, background check, or questions asked.

Myth

The ATF and federal government are doing all they can to regulate and stop the proliferation of ghost guns.

Fact

State legislatures carry the burden of regulating the core building blocks of ghost guns, while the ATF stalls on implementing a rule that would stop their proliferation.

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

Myth

Homemade ghost guns are primarily for hobbyists.

Fact

Ghost guns are intentionally designed and sold to require as little technical expertise, time, and effort as possible to assemble, unlike home-built firearms made by true hobbyists. And they are predictably emerging as a weapon of choice for criminals, white supremacists, and other people legally prohibited from buying guns.

Recent Ghost Guns Progress

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