80% lowers are illegal in New Jersey. Attorney General Gerbir Grewal in 2018, sent letters to a number of gun parts manufacturers threatening legal action unless they halt future sales in the state. “As the chief law enforcement officer for New Jersey, I demand you stop selling and advertising unregistered and unserialized assault weapons to New Jersey residents,” Grewal says in the letter. “Should you fail to comply with this demand within 15 days, my Office will initiate legal action.” The sale of 80% lowers or "ghost guns" to residents of New Jersey is illegal.
New York
80% Lowers are outlawed in New York as a result of the Attorney General, Leticia James, sending letters of cease and desist to manufacturers in 2019. It is prohibited for residents of the state of New York to purchase 80% lowers. As a consequence, any companies that refuse to abide by the cease and disorder will have to pay a $5000 fine for each violation.
"Your website offers unfinished lower receivers that require simple milling in order to manufacture unregistered and unserialized assault weapons, despite the fact that such manufacture and possession are illegal in New York,” the order reads. “Nor does your website adequately warn New York consumers that using these products in the manner for which they are intended and advertised could result in imprisonment and/or fines."
Washington State
On April 23rd, 2019 the manufacture and possession of "untraceable"/ "3D printed guns" had become illegal. In HB1379, Washington set the grounds for its laws regarding mainly 3D printed guns. Here is what HB 1379 entails for the state's residents:
"Except as otherwise provided in this section, it is unlawful for any person to:
- Manufacture, own, buy, sell, loan, furnish, transport, or have in possession or under control, any machine gun, bump-fire stock, undetectable firearm, short-barreled shotgun, or short-barreled rifle;
- Manufacture, own, buy, sell, loan, furnish, transport, or have in possession or under control, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively for use in a machine gun, bump-fire stock, undetectable firearm, short-barreled shotgun, or short-barreled rifle, or in converting a weapon into a machine gun, short-barreled shotgun, or short-barreled rifle;"
- Assemble or repair any machine gun, bump-fire stock, undetectable firearm, short-barreled shotgun, or short-barreled rifle; or
- Manufacture an untraceable firearm with the intent to sell the untraceable firearm."
"Undetectable firearm: means any firearm that is not as detectable as 3.7 ounces of 17-4 PH stainless steel by walk-through metal detectors or magnetometers commonly used at airports or any firearm where the barrel, the slide or cylinder, or the frame or receiver of the firearm would not generate an image that accurately depicts the shape of the part when examined by the types of X-ray machines commonly used at airports."
"Untraceable firearm: means any firearm manufactured after July 1, 2019, that is not an antique firearm and that cannot be traced by law enforcement by means of a serial number affixed to the firearm by a federally licensed manufacturer or importer."
California
California law does not completely outlaw 80% lowers. In fact, as 80% lowers can be bought and sold, but only for builds in rifles. Any 80% frame made for a handgun or a pistol is illegal in California law. Furthermore, any 80% rifle must be California Compliant and must be serialized.
Connecticut
80% lowers are illegal in Connecticut. A law was passed prohibiting the sale and possession of unserialized "receiver blanks" outright. Since the ban is against receiver blanks without serial numbers, and the ATF does not regulate them, and they are not shipped with serial numbers, most 80% lowers on the list are not sent with serial numbers, making it a violation to purchase them from out of state.
Washington D.C.
A letter released in 2020 as a temporary amendment to Official Code 7-2501.01 by the Mayor of Washington D.C. prohibits the sale and ownership of unserialized receiver blanks as part of a list of banned firearms. And in the case of 80% or unfinished pistol or handgun frames, any frame containing less than 3.7 ounces of metal is also strictly prohibited.
An excerpt from the letter:
"The bill prohibits the District from issuing a firearms registration certificate for ghost guns. The bill defines ghost guns as a firearm that, after the removal of all parts except the receiver, cannot be detected by a metal detector that is calibrated and operated to detect the security exemplar? or do not accurately generate an image of the prohibited component in a commonly used detection device at secure federal government buildings and airports. Ghost guns also include an unfinished frame or receivers ‘The bill also prohibits any individual's possession, sale, transfer, or use of a ghost gun in the District."
Rhode Island
The Julie Cardinal Act is the document responsible for the prohibition of 80% lowers in the state of Rhode Island. At the time of the passing vote, this was said about the purpose of the act, "Under it, no one can build, own or sell these guns, unless it was made before 1968. Those who legally own ghost guns now have a 30-day grace period to get them serialized." The ban also prohibits the manufacture of 3D printed frames and receiver blanks as well.
Hawaii
HB 2744 H.D. 1 S.D. 2, "Prohibit[s] the manufacture, purchase, or obtaining of firearm parts for the purpose of assembling a firearm having no serial number." It is illegal to purchase or own 80% lowers as a result of the aforementioned bill. The bill was passed in 2020 and expresses that no receiver blank can be milled with the intent to make a working firearm.
While it is legal in all other states at the current time, laws are always changing. Therefore it is our responsibility as members of the 80% lower community to be aware of the regulations set forth by the states that make them.