Easily accessible yet deadly 3D-printed guns are becoming commonplace in violent crimes as individuals, including teenagers, flock to the simplicity and affordability of creating their own weapons. These untraceable “ghost guns” are cheap and impossible to track back to their owners, and they are fast becoming the top choice of weapon for numerous criminals. There are no background checks for anyone printing a gun; no age requirement, and no record of any transactions to purchase or even build one, since online instructions are readily available.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reports that from 2016 to 2022, the usage of known ghost guns rose from 1,758 to 28,258. From 2020 to 2024, the number of ghost guns used in crimes nearly tripled, from 10,109 to 28,258.

One of the most recent and high-profile appearances of ghost guns in the U.S. came last month when an assassin used a ghost gun to murder United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City Street on December 4.

Currently, no federal laws address the utilization of gun kits or the usage of printed guns in the U.S. However, with the alarming rise of ghost guns used in crimes, some states have passed laws and regulations about the weapons and even the instructions (kits) on how to build them.

To date, only a few states have adopted some type of ghost gun requirements, though there is no way to enforce these mandates. 3D-printed guns are made without any way of tracing them, so states do not have the resources to track their manufacture.

In Rhode Island, Connecticut, Washington, California and New Jersey, undetectable plastic guns and/or 3D-printed guns are illegal. Delaware bans the 3D printing of guns and the distribution of information on how to print them.

In Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Maryland and California, owners must notify officials that they have ghost guns.

Colorado requires serial numbers for the parts of a printed gun, but it is an honor system, with no way for the state to know who is printing guns.

Virginia and New York regulate all undetectable firearms, including 3D-printed guns, that can pass undetected through security metal-detecting equipment, by requiring that they be reported to the state.

But the dilemma facing authorities is daunting: how can they track a printed weapon, especially before it is used in a violent crime? Is it possible?

A report conducted by the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Justice says that the (ATF) needs a more sophisticated system to track such weapons.

Inspector General for the DOJ Michael Horowitz, in the report, says that the “ATF does not have standardized procedures to guide how it proactively identifies and evaluates 3-D printed firearms, and to ensure proactive monitoring of this evolving technology. Without such a method, and without better monitoring, ATF can’t comprehensively analyze emerging trends involving 3D printed firearms and parts.”

The report tells the ATF that they must design new monitoring systems, including “monitoring and evaluating 3-D printed firearms” and create expanded protocols to more effectively collect data on recovered firearms made entirely using 3-D printers and ‘hybrid’ firearms made with a 3-D printed frame or receiver.” However, no current methods can track such weapons.

In October 2024, a private firm announced that it was trying to develop a system to successfully identify 3D gun parts using a specific algorithm. The firm is working in partnership with Montclair University in New Jersey and says it is developing technology that is “capable of accurately identifying 3D printed gun components  based on unique design signatures; creating a reliable identification system that aims to assist manufacturers, regulators, K-12 schools, universities, and law enforcement agencies in monitoring and controlling the distribution of potentially dangerous components.”

However, at this time, there is no way to successfully track the creation or usage of ghost guns before the weapons are used in violent crimes.