Firearms: ghost guns.

Assembly Member Gipson’s measure targets ghost gun proliferation by criminalizing knowingly aiding, abetting, or facilitating the unlawful manufacture of firearms—whether by traditional means or through three‑dimensional printing or CNC milling—and by expanding how digital firearm manufacturing code is defined and enforced. Woven into this approach is a suite of civil and criminal tools intended to deter the creation and distribution of unserialized and unregulated firearms, with provisions that apply to both individuals and online platforms involved in sharing digital manufacturing instructions.

A core element of the bill is redefining what counts as digital firearm manufacturing code to include computer‑aided design and manufacturing files and other instructions that program equipment used to produce firearms or firearm components. The measure authorizes civil actions to seek compensatory damages and injunctive relief for harm resulting from unlawful manufacture, and it creates a rebuttable presumption that a person violates the distribution prohibition if they run an internet site that makes such code available to Californians and appears to encourage upload or use of the code to manufacture firearms or related devices. In addition, firearm industry members would face new requirements before completing the sale or delivery of a firearm barrel that is unattached to a firearm, a firearm accessory, or a firearm manufacturing machine in California or to a California resident: they must provide clear notice that certain conduct is generally criminal in California, obtain an acknowledgment from the purchaser, verify the purchaser’s age and identity, and—in shipments—ensure packaging and delivery conditions that tie to identified purchaser information. Exemptions exist for licensed dealers, law enforcement, and certain other entities.

The bill expands prohibitions and penalties tied to the unlawful manufacture of firearms and imposes new ownership restrictions for certain misdemeanor offenders. It adds to the set of misdemeanor offenses with consequences for owning or possessing firearms within ten years of conviction, with penalties that may include imprisonment in a county jail, fines, or both. A broad array of firearm‑related offenses—ranging from manufacture of certain prohibited weapons and devices to unlicensed manufacture and transfers to unlicensed individuals—are identified as part of the unlawful manufacture framework. The legislation also introduces a civil remedy framework that can award damages and attorney’s fees to prevailing plaintiffs, and it provides for specific penalties and injunctive relief to deter ongoing violations.

As part of its broader governance approach, the measure includes severability and an operative‑date contingency tied to another bill, and it specifies that no reimbursement is required for local agencies because costs are tied to changes in criminal or regulatory penalties rather than new program funding. The provisions build on existing firearm industry conduct standards by requiring reasonable controls and by limiting certain downstream sales to entities that maintain comparable controls. Taken together, the changes articulate a framework that aligns civil liability, criminal enforcement, and industry responsibilities around the production and distribution of firearms and digital manufacturing code, with attention to the evolving landscape of ghost gun accessibility and the technologies used to produce firearms.