Gov. Ferguson signs two gun control laws targeting ghost guns and background check fees in Washington
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Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson signed two gun control measures into law this week, pressing ahead with a Second Amendment crackdown even after the Washington Legislature adjourned for the year.
The legislature wrapped its 2026 session on March 12, but Ferguson moved quickly to sign House Bill 2521, which strips the existing cap on fees the Washington State Patrol can charge for firearm background checks. The bill also expands the scope of what those collected fees may be used for.
HB 2521 removes cap on Washington firearm background check fees
According to the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, HB 2521 effectively hands government bureaucrats unlimited authority to set background check prices at whatever level they see fit.
NRA-ILA warned the law opens the door to making the legal process of obtaining a firearm so prohibitively expensive that law-abiding Washingtonians can no longer practically afford to exercise their constitutional rights.
Ferguson signs HB 2320 banning ghost guns and 3D-printed firearms in Washington
Ferguson also signed House Bill 2320, which prohibits private individuals from using 3D printers or milling machines to manufacture firearms and firearm parts that are already illegal or restricted under state law. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Osman Salahuddin (D-Redmond), goes further by banning the possession of digital instruction files or code related to firearm components.
The bill passed the House 58-38 before arriving at Ferguson’s desk.
NRA-ILA flagged the law as raising First, Second, and Fifth Amendment concerns, noting the bill contains a catch-all provision stating that manufacturing or assembling any of the regulated items “by other means” is also prohibited. NRA-ILA Gun rights advocates argue the digital file prohibition sets a dangerous precedent for state policing of the internet.
Supporters of the measure, including the gun control groups Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action, celebrated the signing and framed the legislation as a necessary step against ghost guns, the term for unserialized and untraceable privately made firearms. However, a study examining privately made firearms found no noticeable increase in homicide rates even in areas with higher ghost gun recoveries, a finding that undermines the public safety justification driving the legislation.
What gun rights advocates won this session
Gun rights supporters were not entirely shut out during the 2026 legislative session.
NRA-ILA credited its members with helping defeat 10 anti-gun bills before adjournment, including proposals that would have limited firearm purchases to one per month, expanded gun-free zones, required mandatory firearm storage, and imposed insurance requirements on gun owners.
The organization said it plans to return to Olympia for the 2027 session. Ferguson, who made gun control a central pillar of his campaign before taking office, has shown no sign of slowing down.
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