New York’s latest budget proposal would place new obligations on manufacturers of 3D printers and other digital fabrication equipment, tying the operation of these tools to mandatory software controls.
The 2026–2027 executive budget bill, S.9005/A.10005, directs that devices sold in the state include “blocking technology” capable of scanning every design file and stopping production when a “firearms blueprint detection algorithm” flags a file as a potential gun or gun component.
The bill, similar to the ones we recently reported on in Washington state, treats file scanning as a workable technical safeguard, even though digital design files only describe shapes.
Many ordinary objects share the same geometric traits as regulated firearm parts. Pipes, housings, brackets, mounts, and mechanical connectors all overlap with components that appear in firearms.
Software that evaluates geometry alone cannot reliably separate lawful designs from prohibited ones. Such systems inevitably interrupt legitimate work while offering little resistance to deliberate misuse.
Although public discussion often centers on consumer 3D printers, the statutory language reaches much further.
The definitions extend to any machine capable of making three-dimensional changes to an object from a digital design using subtractive manufacturing. That scope covers equipment found in repair businesses and small manufacturing firms throughout the state.
Open-source firmware projects face particular strain under this framework. Systems such as Marlin and Klipper are maintained by volunteer communities and commonly run on machines that are intentionally offline.
Requiring these systems to inspect files against an external standard assumes constant connectivity and centralized infrastructure that many users neither want nor have.
The bill pairs these expectations with penalties reaching $10,000 per violation and requires that all 3D printer sales occur in person.
