Gov. Hochul Signs Law that Requires all Imitation Guns to be Brightly Colored or Clear

By Yehudit Garmaise

Criminals in New York are not just using guns with increasing frequency to commit crimes, they're using fake guns as well.

Today Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a new law that says that all imitation guns must be brightly colored to be easily identifiable as fake.

Hundreds of criminals committed crimes using imitation weapons in New York City, Attorney General Letitia James reported.

Statewide, eight people have died and at least 63 others have been shot after their fake weapons were mistaken for real firearms.

"Too many people have been killed or injured and too many crimes committed because toy guns looked real,” said Assemblymember Tom Abinanti (District 92, Westchester County.) “Real guns that are misused are a big problem: we don't need the problem compounded by toy guns that look real." 

While New York law previously required “toy” guns to feature brightly colored stems and other features to tell others that the weapons are not harmful, permissible imitation weapons cannot be colored: black, blue, silver or aluminum, which would too closely resemble real guns.

Instead, all imitation guns in New York can only come in the following colors: white, bright red, bright orange, bright yellow, bright green, bright blue, bright pink, and bright purple. 

Alternately, fake guns can be made entirely of transparent or translucent materials. 

NYC and municipalities statewide prohibit the gel guns that have recently become popular through social media “challenges."

Gov. Hochul’s new law, however, will ensure that no fake guns can be used to commit crimes statewide.

"My top priority as governor is keeping New Yorkers safe, and that means cracking down on devices used to commit crime," Gov. Hochul said. "Restricting these realistic-looking devices will ensure misleading and potentially dangerous devices are off our streets, keeping kids, law enforcement and all New Yorkers safe."