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See other pages of this guide for more information on background checks, restrictions on felons, and licenses to carry firearms.
As 3D printing technology has become more widely accessible, questions have arisen as to whether 3D-printed guns are legal and whether blueprints for making 3D-printed guns can be distributed on the internet.
Federal laws regulate the manufacture of firearms in the U.S. and set restrictions on the types of guns that can be made.
In 2018, a federal judge blocked the company Defense Distributed from posting blueprints for 3D-printed guns online. This order was the result of ongoing litigation between the company and the U.S. Department of State. So far, the company's efforts to combat the 2018 ruling have been unsuccessful.
The State of Texas does not maintain a registry of firearms. The federal government also does not maintain a general registry of handgun or rifle ownership. However, the National Firearms Act does require that certain types of firearms or other weapons be registered (such as short barreled shot guns, machine guns, silencers, etc.).
