FAQ – Ghost Gun Federal Rule and Illinois HB 4383 Analysis

Last week the Illinois General Assembly passed critical legislation to make ghost guns illegal. It has the support of G-PAC, Brady United, Everytown for Gun Safety, GIFFORDS, and Moms Demand Action.

On Monday, President Biden issued a new rule change to crack down on ghost guns. This new rule is extremely important and has the support of gun violence prevention groups across the country.

Federal Rule – Prohibits ghost gun sales and distribution by gun companies:

  • Bans the business of manufacturing the most accessible ghost guns.
    • Includes unserialized ghost gun kits that extremists can buy without a background check and that can be readily assembled into a working firearm in as little as 30 minutes at home.
  • Classifies ghost gun kits as firearms and requires the commercial manufacturers of these kits to become federally licensed, include serial numbers on the kits’ frame or receiver, and run a background check before sale.
  • Requires federally licensed dealers and gunsmiths to take any unserialized firearm into inventory to serialize that weapon prior to sale.
    • Includes ghost guns made from individual parts, kits, or 3D-printers.

Illinois HB 4383 – Goes further by:

  • Immediately prohibiting the sale of unserialized gun parts that can be turned into guns.
    • Existing unserialized gun parts must be serialized in 6 months.
    • Existing unserialized guns must be serialized in 6 months.
  • Requiring serial numbers on all guns manufactured with a 3D printer.
    • Existing 3D-printed guns must be serialized in 1 month.
    • Going forward, 3D-printed guns must be serialized during the manufacturing process.
  • Creating standards for serialization for existing unserialized firearms at federally licensed firearms dealers and other federal licensees authorized to imprint serial numbers.
    • Unique serial numbers will be applied to firearms.
    • Licensees must keep records outlining pertinent details of the serialized firearm.

Download a PDF version HERE.