Question 1

Are ghost guns and 80% lowers legal in New York?

Accepted Answer

No. Only a licensed gunsmith may possess or serialize an unfinished frame or receiver or manufacture a firearm; ordinary possession of a ghost gun is prohibited. Effective 2022-04-26. Controlling law: N.Y. Penal Law §§ 265.00(32), 265.01(9), 265.07 & 265.10.

Question 2

What law covers unfinished frames and unserialized firearms in New York?

Accepted Answer

The controlling law is N.Y. Penal Law §§ 265.00(32), 265.01(9), 265.07 & 265.10. Only a licensed gunsmith may possess or serialize an unfinished frame or receiver or manufacture a firearm; ordinary possession of a ghost gun is prohibited.

Question 3

When did New York's unfinished frame or unserialized firearm restriction take effect?

Accepted Answer

New York's rule took effect 2022-04-26. New York reserves serialization and registration to licensed gunsmiths and dealers and separately criminalizes manufacture of a ghost gun or unfinished frame or receiver. A serialized stripped lower transferred through the ordinary firearm channel is distinct from the prohibited unfinished or unserialized class.

Question 4

Are 80% lowers and self-built firearms legal under federal law?

Accepted Answer

Federal law does not prohibit making a firearm for personal use, but prohibited-person, detectable-firearm, and unlicensed manufacturing-for-sale rules still apply. On August 17, 2026, Defense Distributed v. Blanche held 27 C.F.R. §§ 478.11 and 478.12(c) unconstitutional, but the judgment did not vacate those regulations and its declaratory and injunctive relief is party-scoped. Buyers outside the protected parties remain subject to the 2022 federal frame-or-receiver rule while litigation continues; state serialization, transfer, possession, and manufacturing laws apply independently.

Federal baseline verified 2026-08-18. Scope: Unfinished firearm frames and receivers, including products marketed as 80% lowers or pistol-frame blanks, plus firearms privately made without a serial number. Serialized stripped receivers transferred as firearms are outside this class's unfinished/unserialized restrictions.

Are Ghost Guns and 80% Lowers Legal in New York?

Litigation Status and Details

Federal baseline

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