Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with a coalition of 21 attorneys general, has joined a multistate amicus brief supporting a Colorado law that mandates the serialization of unserialized frames or receivers by January 1, 2024. The law also prohibits the use of 3D printers to create such firearm components. The case, National Association for Gun Rights v. Polis, is currently under review in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

“These requirements are crucial in keeping ghost guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals and critical to solving violent, firearm-related crimes,” said Attorney General Bonta. “In the State of California, we have seen firsthand the effectiveness of our commonsense gun laws, and it is imperative that similar laws are implemented nationwide. Each year, an increasing number of unregistered firearms and firearm components find their way into our state from areas with laxer gun control laws. This not only leaves law enforcement in the dark but also puts our communities at risk. We cannot accept this as the norm, which is why I am committed to protecting the well-being and security of all Californians through commonsense gun laws.”

A Colorado district court previously rejected plaintiffs’ challenge to the law, citing lack of standing for several plaintiffs and concluding that the statute does not burden Second Amendment rights because it only imposes conditions on commercial sales.

The amicus brief argues that many states already prohibit unserialized firearms' possession and sale and warns that reversing the district court's decision would jeopardize these prohibitions. It also presents policy-oriented reasons for upholding Colorado’s law by highlighting how unserialized firearms contribute to gun violence and impede law enforcement efforts due to their lack of serial numbers. Furthermore, it asserts that Colorado’s regulation aligns with Second Amendment principles since ghost guns are not typically used by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes.

Attorney General Bonta is joined by attorneys general from Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont Washington Wisconsin and the District of Columbia in filing this brief.

A copy of the brief can be found here.