'Ghost gun' law takes effect

“Ghost guns,” which are 3D-printed firearms without serial numbers, are prohibited across Oregon starting last Sunday.

The ban comes after a federal judge denied a legal challenge that tried to block the prohibition.

In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2005 banning ghost guns. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, a Democrat, pushed for years to get legislation banning ghost guns.

“Unserialized guns are bad for everyone except criminals who don’t want to get caught,” she said at the time.

Starting on September 1, 2024, all firearms built after October 22, 1968, must have a serial number. Violating the law could result in a fine of $1,000 for first-time offenders. Repeat offenders could face higher fines and potentially incarceration.

Starting in July 2023, Oregon law also prohibited the sale, transfer ,and import of unserialized firearms and the possession, sale, and manufacturing of firearms that could not be detected by metal detectors.