HB26-1144 Is Now Law: What Colorado's 3D Printed Firearms Ban Means for Gun Owners
If you own firearms in Colorado: or have ever built, modified, or printed firearm-related components: you may be wondering what HB26-1144 means for you.
You are not alone. Colorado’s firearm laws have changed repeatedly, and the difference between manufacturing, possessing, transferring, and inheriting a firearm can be difficult to understand without legal guidance. A common mistake is to assume that a new law automatically makes every previously owned item illegal. Another is to assume that a gun trust solves every problem.
The details matter.
HB26-1144, titled “Prohibit Three-Dimensional Printing Firearms & Components,” became effective July 1, 2026. The law addresses the use of additive and subtractive manufacturing technology to produce potentially functional firearms and certain firearm components.
It also creates important estate-planning questions for gun owners, families, veterans, and small business owners who want to ensure their firearms are handled lawfully if they become incapacitated or die.
What HB26-1144 prohibits
Under the enacted law, a person may not knowingly manufacture or produce a firearm or firearm component by means of three-dimensional printing.
The law defines three-dimensional printing broadly. It includes:
Additive manufacturing, such as using a traditional 3D printer to build an object layer by layer.
Subtractive manufacturing, such as using a computer numerical control, or CNC, milling machine to remove material from a workpiece.
Similar automated manufacturing devices.
The law applies to the following potentially functional items:
A firearm
An unfinished frame or receiver
A large-capacity magazine
A rapid-fire device
The term “ghost gun” is often used when discussing unserialized or privately made firearms. HB26-1144 is related to Colorado’s broader ghost-gun restrictions, but it focuses specifically on the manufacturing method and the potential functionality of the item.
That distinction is important. The law does not apply to every object that resembles a firearm or firearm component. The statute states that it applies only to potentially functional firearms and firearm components. Nonfunctional props, theatrical items, and other objects that cannot function as firearms are treated differently.
What are the penalties?
A violation of HB26-1144 is classified as:
A class 1 misdemeanor for a first offense
A class 5 felony for a second or subsequent offense
That is a serious change for anyone who has used a 3D printer, CNC machine, or similar device to make a potentially functional firearm or covered component.
The law applies to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2026. If you printed or manufactured something before that date, the timing may matter: but it does not necessarily answer every legal question. Other Colorado and federal laws may apply to the item, its markings, its transfer, or its possession.
This is one of those situations where a quick internet search or an assumption based on what a friend says may leave you exposed.
What exemptions does the law include?
HB26-1144 does not apply to everyone who uses this type of equipment.
The law includes exemptions for:
Federally licensed firearm manufacturers
An instructor or student working within an accredited gunsmithing program
An institution operating an accredited gunsmithing program, when the manufacturing is solely for educational instruction within that program
These exemptions are not a general permission slip for anyone who owns a printer or operates a machine shop. If you are a small business owner, gunsmith, manufacturer, instructor, or student, you should confirm that your business, program, equipment, and conduct fit within the statutory language.
A commercial business may also have separate federal licensing, recordkeeping, storage, and transfer obligations. The exemption from one Colorado prohibition does not necessarily eliminate other legal requirements.
What happened to the digital-instructions ban?
Earlier versions of HB26-1144 included language addressing digital instructions or files that could be used to program a 3D printer or CNC machine.
Those provisions changed during the legislative process.
The final enacted law removed the provision that would have independently banned the distribution of digital 3D-printing instructions. The enacted summary from the Colorado General Assembly identifies the offense as unlawful three-dimensional printing of a firearm or firearm component. It does not create a separate criminal offense for merely possessing or distributing digital design instructions.
In practical terms, the law that took effect July 1 focuses on the act of manufacturing or producing a potentially functional firearm or covered component: not simply having a file.
That does not mean digital files are always irrelevant. Depending on the circumstances, files, messages, equipment, or other information could become evidence in an investigation involving alleged unlawful manufacturing. If you are concerned about something you printed, manufactured, stored, or shared, do not assume the file issue answers the entire question.
What should you do if you already own or printed a firearm?
Many responsible gun owners are now asking: “What do I do with something I already made?”
The answer depends on the item, how it was made, when it was made, whether it is functional, whether it has required markings, and whether other state or federal laws apply.
Do not make additional modifications or attempt to complete another potentially functional firearm or component while you are trying to understand the law. Do not transfer, sell, loan, transport, or dispose of the item without first getting advice specific to your circumstances.
Instead:
Pause further manufacturing. Do not continue printing, milling, assembling, or modifying a potentially functional firearm or covered component until you understand the law.
Preserve relevant information. Keep receipts, dates, licensing documents, photographs, and records showing when and how the item was acquired or made. Do not alter or destroy records.
Separate legal questions. Possession, manufacturing, serialization, transfer, storage, and inheritance may involve different rules.
Review your entire collection. Include firearms held individually, jointly, in a business, or through a trust.
Speak with a qualified attorney promptly. A lawyer can help you understand your options without guessing or relying on generalized advice.
The goal is not to create panic. It is to replace uncertainty with a lawful, practical plan.
How SB25-003 adds another layer beginning August 1
HB26-1144 is not the only major change affecting Colorado gun owners in 2026.
Under SB25-003, Colorado created a permit-to-purchase and training framework for certain specified semiautomatic firearms that began August 1, 2026.
The law does not cover every firearm. The statutory definition generally includes:
Semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines
Semiautomatic shotguns with detachable magazines
Gas-operated semiautomatic handguns with detachable magazines
The law also excludes certain firearms and transactions. Depending on the situation, a purchaser may need a firearms safety course eligibility card issued by a sheriff and completion of an approved firearms safety course before purchasing a covered firearm.
This creates an important planning issue. A gun owner may have:
Firearms lawfully acquired before August 1
Firearms purchased after August 1
Firearms held in a business
National Firearms Act items
Items that may be transferred later through inheritance or a trust
You should not assume that a gun trust replaces the permit or training requirements under SB25-003. A trust is an estate-planning and ownership structure; it is not a shortcut around Colorado’s purchase, possession, manufacturing, or transfer laws.
Where a Colorado gun trust fits
A gun trust can be especially useful for gun owners who have regulated firearms or want a clear plan for incapacity and death.
A properly drafted trust may help you:
Identify who may lawfully serve as a trustee
Provide instructions for responsible possession and storage
Name successor trustees
Coordinate the collection with your broader estate plan
Reduce confusion when a family member must step in
Address the eventual transfer of firearms to eligible beneficiaries
For National Firearms Act items: such as suppressors or short-barreled rifles: additional federal transfer requirements may apply. Moving an NFA firearm from your individual name into a trust generally requires an approved federal transfer process. Signing a trust document alone does not complete that transfer.
A gun trust also does not legalize an unlawful firearm or make unlawful manufacturing permissible. It cannot cure a problem created by HB26-1144, and it should not be used to move an item before the necessary state and federal requirements have been satisfied.
The trust must also coordinate with your will, revocable living trust, powers of attorney, beneficiary designations, and instructions for incapacity. A document sitting in a drawer is not the same as a plan your family can actually use.
Your next step: coordinate your legal plan
Imagine your family trying to sort through your firearms after an accident or death. They may not know which items are regulated, which are held in a trust, which require federal approval, or who has authority to possess them. In a blended family, those questions can become even more complicated.
You can make that moment easier.
When you work with me, I will help you look at the complete picture: your firearms, your family structure, your business interests, your existing estate documents, and the Colorado and federal rules that affect your collection. We can determine whether a gun trust is appropriate and coordinate it with the rest of your estate plan.
This process can be manageable. You do not have to solve every question alone, and you do not need to wait until a law-enforcement contact, family emergency, or death forces the issue.
Schedule a complimentary 15-minute discovery call with Laurie Williams Law Office, LLC. Let’s discuss what HB26-1144 and Colorado’s 2026 firearm laws may mean for your situation.
Planning ahead is not about giving up control. It is about making informed decisions, protecting your loved ones, and ensuring your wishes can be carried out lawfully. That is a meaningful act of care; and the time to begin is now.
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Colorado and federal firearm laws can change, and the application of those laws depends on the specific facts. Consult an attorney about your circumstances before manufacturing, transferring, modifying, storing, or disposing of a firearm or firearm component.
