The Wire · CalGunHub

Bauer-Kahan introduces bill requiring firearm-blocking tech in 3-D printers

Published February 17, 2026 · Updated October 12, 2026

AB 2047 would bar sale of 3-D printers in California unless the model carries DOJ-recognized firearm blocking technology.

Written by the CalGunHub desk from public reporting

Who this affects: As introduced, AB 2047 would apply to sellers and manufacturers of 3-D printers in California, with phased dates running from 2027 to a March 1, 2029 sales restriction, and would create penalties for circumvention. Introduced bills are not law; this measure was later amended substantially before signing, and its final operative terms differ from the introduced version. This is general information, not legal advice.

Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan introduced AB 2047, titled the California Firearm Printing Prevention Act, on Feb. 17, 2026, according to the California Legislative Information website.

As introduced, the bill would bar the sale or transfer of any 3-D printer in California unless the model appears on a Department of Justice roster of printers equipped with firearm blocking technology, described as a blueprint-detection algorithm that screens print files, according to a Feb. 20, 2026 Tom's Hardware report. The original timeline called for DOJ certification guidance by July 2027, manufacturer attestations by January 2028, a published roster by September 2028, and a ban on sales of unauthorized printers from March 1, 2029. Circumvention would be a misdemeanor, and civil penalties could reach $25,000 per violation, according to a June 23, 2026 Senate Judiciary Committee analysis.

The bill is sponsored by Everytown for Gun Safety. Opponents include the California Rifle and Pistol Association, the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, Gun Owners of California and several 3-D-printing and manufacturing companies. Parallel bills are pending in New York and Washington; California, New York and Washington together account for about 20 percent of the U.S. population and 24 percent of GDP, according to Tom's Hardware, citing Adafruit.

"Your printer is a tool for your own creativity, not a device that should be locked down or surveilled," Prusa Research staff said in a February 2026 statement, according to the Planet 3DP legislation tracker.

Update: The bill passed Assembly Public Safety 6-0 on March 24, Assembly Judiciary 9-3 on April 14, Assembly Appropriations 11-4 on May 14, and the Assembly floor 58-19 on May 26, 2026. It passed Senate Judiciary 11-2 on June 23 and Senate Public Safety 5-1 on June 30, 2026. After the window covered here, it passed the Senate 29-10 on Aug. 31, 2026, won concurrence 60-18, and was signed Sept. 26, 2026 (Chapter 461) with the roster and misdemeanor provisions removed and effectiveness contingent on an ASTM standard.

Informational only, not legal advice. Facts are attributed to the sources listed above.