New federal restrictions on ghost guns now in effect
New federal restrictions on "ghost guns" went into effect on Wednesday. A ghost gun can be made from parts bought online or with 3D printers.
Beginning Wednesday, commercial manufacturers of ghost gun assembly kits will be required to include serial numbers. Sellers will also need to be federally licensed, run background checks before selling a homemade gun kit and keep records of the purchases for as long as they are in business. The current rule allows sellers to purge records after 20 years.
The number of ghost guns in the U.S. has been on the rise in recent years. While there's no data on how many ghost gun parts are sold, the number turning up at crime scenes in recent years has soared, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which regulates firearms.
In its latest report on the U.S. gun market, the ATF pointed to jumps in Google trends data in recent years that suggest increasing interest in ghost gun parts.
That data shows key searches related to specific ghost gun parts soared by more than 600% in the last decade.
Last year, Denver police confiscated 166 guns without serial numbers during criminal investigations.