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Washington lawmakers are advancing two proposals that would expand the state’s control over how three-dimensional printers and similar equipment can be used, citing the spread of “untraceable firearms” as justification. House bill 2321 would require that all three‑D printers sold in Washington after 07/01/2027 include built‑in safeguards that detect and block attempts to produce firearms or firearm components. The safeguards must reject such print requests with a high degree of reliability and prevent users from disabling or bypassing the control system. To meet the rule, manufacturers could embed the detection algorithm directly into a printer’s firmware, integrate it through preprint software, or use an authentication process that screens design files before printing. Manufacturers failing to comply could be charged with a class C felony, facing penalties of up to five years in prison and a $15,000 fine. The measure defines these safeguards as a firearms blueprint detection algorithm.
A related bill, House bill 2320, would prohibit the use of three‑D printers, CNC milling machines, or other tools to produce unregistered firearms. It would also make it illegal to distribute or possess digital files capable of creating gun parts. The bill targets both the physical manufacturing of ghost guns and the online exchange of design data. Representative Osman Sallehuden introduced the legislation, saying it is meant to close a dangerous gap in state law: “with a three‑D printer that cost a few hundred and a digital file that can be downloaded online, someone can now manufacture an untraceable firearm at home, no background check, no serial number, and no accountability.”
The discussion notes that under U.S. federal law, unlicensed individuals may produce firearms for personal noncommercial use without registering them or adding a serial number, often referred to as ghost guns. However, this is restricted by state laws and federal regulations against manufacturing items like silencers or machine guns, and against firearms that are undetectable by metal detectors. The article emphasizes that apart from some prohibited items, it is legal to use three‑D printers for this purpose under certain conditions, subject to state variations.
The proposed safeguards would require the algorithm to be unbypassable, effectively outlawing firmware modification or gaining root access. In short, tinkering with your own hardware could be treated as a crime. The bills are framed as public safety measures, but the discussion warns they could push toward closed systems that require server authentication or proprietary software, turning open hardware into a controlled platform. The broader concern is about government or corporate control over what devices a person may own or modify, with potential for expanded restrictions through the attorney general’s broad authority to define blocked designs in the future. The debate touches on parallels to proposed and enacted “kill switches” and remote controls in other domains, and to the tension between innovation and control.