California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed ten new gun control bills into law on Saturday, expanding the state’s already extensive firearms regulations. The package includes a first-in-the-nation measure targeting 3D-printed firearms as well as new training mandates for gun buyers.
The most novel of the new laws, the Firearm Printing Prevention Act (AB 2047), requires consumer 3D printers sold in California to include technology that detects and blocks attempts to print firearms and illegal firearm parts. The bill is aimed at what lawmakers call “ghost guns” — untraceable weapons assembled outside the traditional retail system. Everytown for Gun Safety, the gun-control group backed by Michael Bloomberg, praised the signing and called AB 2047 “groundbreaking legislation.”
Senate Bill 948 significantly expands the state’s Firearm Safety Certificate requirements. Starting in 2029, prospective gun owners will need to complete a minimum four-hour training course that includes live-fire exercises and classroom instruction set by the state, according to the NRA-ILA.
Assembly Bill 1743 broadens the state’s firearm data-sharing system, increasing access to records kept in California’s Automated Firearms System and related databases. Senate Bill 1220 adds a new firearm-prohibiting misdemeanor to the list of offenses that trigger a 10-year ban on gun possession.
Newsom Touts Rankings, Critics Point to FBI Data
In a press release announcing the signings, Newsom’s office described California as the “No. 1 state in the nation for gun law strength and effectiveness.” The release did not address FBI data showing California also ranked No. 1 in the country for active shooter incidents in both 2021 and 2023.
The ten bills add to a long list of firearms restrictions California has enacted in recent years, reinforcing its position as the state with the most extensive gun-control regime in the country.
