5 Years in Prison for a Download? Washington's Brutal New Crackdown on 3D-Printed Guns

The State of Washington is next in line to enact regulations to curb the manufacture and distribution of 3D-printed firearms, also known as ghost guns and their components.

States like Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, California, Illinois, Maryland, Hawaii, and Massachusetts have already begun restricting the manufacture, distribution, and possession of these firearms.

News of a growing problem in 3D-printed firearms has been surfacing since last year, with authorities seizing these guns in different parts of the world. In just the past week, a student in Northwood High School in Montgomery County, Maryland, was arrested for the illegal possession of a loaded ghost gun, which he brought into school grounds, per The Sentinel.

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The plastic ghost gun was essentially undetectable through metal detectors that are placed in school entrances to screen for both weapons and contraband.

House Bill 2321, shared by Tom's Hardware, is an act that imposes restrictions on the unlawful manufacturing of 3D-printed firearms by mandating the blocking of certain 3D printer technologies. The house bill also states that a new chapter will be added to Title 19 Revised Code of Washington (RCW), which contains Washington's permanent laws now in effect.

House Bill 2321

According to the bill, three-dimensional printers must deploy a blueprint detection algorithm integrated into their controls. These algorithms should be designed to identify and reject print requests for illegal firearms and their components.

The bill mandates that the algorithm must come with a 'high degree of reliability and cannot be overridden or otherwise defeated by a user with significant technical skill,' highlighting how some processes can still be bypassed by highly skilled individuals despite existing safeguards.

This means that after 1 July 2027, the state of Washington will restrict the manufacture, wholesale, or distribution of 3D printers that lack a blueprint detection algorithm. This applies to anyone conducting business in the state of Washington or anyone whose services are sold to residents of the state.

It aims to stop 3D printers from even initiating the printing sequence without going through a firearms blueprints detection algorithm. The Software Controls Process is essentially 'a system designed to stop a three-dimensional printer from initiating any print job unless the underlying three-dimensional printing file has been evaluated by a firearms blueprints detection algorithm and determined not to be a printing file that would produce a firearm or illegal firearm parts.'

For the first offence, violators of the bill will be charged with misdemeanour, while a second offence will be charged with a Class C felony. A Class C felony in the state of Washington is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000 (£11,000).

Manufacturers of 3D printers could approach this in three ways: integrate a firearms blueprint detection algorithm directly into the firmware, embed the blueprint algorithm into the preprint software, or via a handshake authentication design.

Outlook: The Legislative Process

Sponsors of the bill are looking to advance the legislation process in the 2026 session, as the bill continues to face scrutiny from both legislators and stakeholders. Proponents of the bill argue for its effectiveness in promoting public safety, while detractors are expected to seek changes to mitigate potential consequences for innovation.