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SF2123 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to identification markings on firearms and firearm parts, and providing penalties.

A bill for an act relating to identification markings on firearms and firearm parts, and providing penalties.

Firearms
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
STAED, ZIMMER, PETERSEN, TOWNSEND, BISIGNANO, DREY and DONAHUE
Last action
2026-01-28
Official status
Subcommittee: Schultz, Blake, and Bousselot. S.J. 160 .
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

A bill for an act relating to identification markings on firearms and firearm parts, and providing penalties.

A bill for an act relating to identification markings on firearms and firearm parts, and providing penalties.

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act relating to identification markings on firearms and firearm parts, and providing penalties.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-28 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Schultz, Blake, and Bousselot. S.J. 160 .

  2. 2026-01-27 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Judiciary. S.J. 144 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to identification markings on firearms and firearm parts, and providing penalties.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Senate

File

2123

-

Introduced

SENATE

FILE

2123

BY

STAED

,

ZIMMER

,

PETERSEN

,

TOWNSEND

,

BISIGNANO

,

DREY

,

and

DONAHUE

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

identification

markings

on

firearms

and

1

firearm

parts,

and

providing

penalties.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

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Section

1.

NEW

SECTION

.

724.33

Identification

marks

on

1

firearms

——

manufacturing

firearms

——

penalties.

2

1.

As

used

in

this

section:

3

a.

“Antique

firearm”

means

the

same

as

the

term

is

defined

4

in

18

U.S.C.

§921.

5

b.

“Department”

means

the

department

of

public

safety.

6

c.

“Firearm”

means

the

same

as

the

term

is

defined

in

18

7

U.S.C.

§921.

8

d.

“Manufacture”

means

to

fabricate

or

construct

a

firearm,

9

including

the

initial

assembly.

10

e.

“Security

exemplar”

means

the

same

as

the

term

is

defined

11

in

18

U.S.C.

§922.

12

f.

“Unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver”

means

a

blank,

13

casting,

or

machined

body

intended

to

be

turned

into

the

frame

14

or

lower

receiver

of

a

firearm,

with

additional

machining,

and

15

that

has

been

formed

or

machined

to

the

point

at

which

most

16

major

machining

operations

have

been

completed

to

turn

the

17

blank,

casting,

or

machined

body

into

a

frame

or

lower

receiver

18

of

a

firearm,

even

if

the

fire

control

cavity

area

of

such

19

blank,

casting,

or

machined

body

is

still

completely

solid

20

and

unmachined.

“Unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver”

does

not

21

include

a

firearm.

22

2.

No

later

than

December

1,

2026,

the

department,

in

23

consultation

with

the

bureau

of

alcohol,

tobacco,

firearms,

24

and

explosives

as

necessary,

shall

develop

and

maintain

a

25

system

to

distribute

a

unique

serial

number

or

other

mark

of

26

identification

to

any

person

requesting

such

number

or

mark

27

pursuant

to

subsection

4

or

5.

The

department

shall

provide

28

notice

that

the

system

is

operational

by

posting

a

notification

29

on

the

department’s

internet

site

and

by

electronically

30

notifying

federally

licensed

firearms

dealers.

The

department

31

shall

maintain

identifying

information

of

the

person

requesting

32

the

number

or

mark

and

of

the

firearm

or

unfinished

frame

or

33

lower

receiver

for

which

each

number

or

mark

is

requested.

34

3.

No

person

shall

remove,

deface,

alter,

or

obliterate

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the

name

of

any

maker

or

model,

maker’s

number,

unique

serial

1

number,

or

other

mark

of

identification

on

any

firearm.

2

The

possession

of

any

firearm

upon

which

any

identifying

3

mark,

number,

or

name

has

been

removed,

defaced,

altered,

or

4

obliterated

shall

be

prima

facie

evidence

that

the

person

5

owning

or

in

possession

of

such

firearm

has

removed,

defaced,

6

altered,

or

obliterated

the

identifying

mark,

number,

or

name.

7

4.

a.

A

person

shall

not

complete

the

manufacture

of

a

8

firearm

without

subsequently

obtaining

a

unique

serial

number

9

or

other

mark

of

identification

from

the

department

pursuant

10

to

paragraph

“b”

and

engraving

upon

or

permanently

affixing

to

11

the

firearm

such

serial

number

or

other

mark

in

a

manner

that

12

conforms

with

the

requirements

imposed

on

licensed

importers

13

and

licensed

manufacturers

of

firearms

pursuant

to

18

U.S.C.

14

§923(i)

and

any

regulation

adopted

thereunder.

15

b.

No

later

than

thirty

days

after

a

person

completes

the

16

manufacture

of

a

firearm,

or

ninety

days

after

the

department

17

provides

notice

pursuant

to

subsection

2,

whichever

date

is

18

later,

the

person

shall

request

a

unique

serial

number

or

other

19

mark

of

identification

by

notifying

the

department

of

such

20

manufacture

and

providing

any

identifying

information

to

the

21

department

concerning

the

firearm

and

the

owner

of

such

firearm

22

in

a

manner

prescribed

by

the

department.

Upon

receiving

23

a

properly

submitted

request

for

a

unique

serial

number

or

24

other

mark

of

identification

from

a

person

who

completes

the

25

manufacture

of

a

firearm,

the

department

shall

determine

if

26

the

person

is

prohibited

from

purchasing

or

possessing

a

27

firearm.

If

the

person

is

not

prohibited

from

purchasing

or

28

possessing

a

firearm,

the

department

shall

issue

to

the

person

29

a

unique

serial

number

or

other

mark

of

identification

no

30

later

than

three

business

days

after

the

person

makes

such

31

request.

Issuance

of

a

unique

serial

number

or

other

mark

32

of

identification

pursuant

to

this

subsection

shall

not

be

33

considered

evidence

that

the

firearm

is

otherwise

lawfully

34

possessed.

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c.

A

person

shall

not

transfer

to

another

person

a

firearm

1

manufactured

in

violation

of

this

subsection.

2

d.

A

person

shall

not

facilitate,

aid,

or

abet

the

3

manufacture

of

a

firearm

by

a

person

or

for

a

person

who

is

4

otherwise

prohibited

by

law

from

purchasing

or

possessing

a

5

firearm,

or

that

a

person

is

otherwise

prohibited

by

law

from

6

purchasing

or

possessing.

7

e.

The

provisions

of

this

subsection

do

not

apply

to

the

8

manufacture

of

a

firearm

manufactured

using

an

unfinished

frame

9

or

lower

receiver

on

which

a

serial

number

or

other

identifying

10

mark

has

been

engraved

or

permanently

affixed

pursuant

to

11

subsection

5.

12

f.

The

provisions

of

this

subsection

do

not

apply

to

any

of

13

the

following:

14

(1)

The

manufacture

of

firearms

by

a

federally

licensed

15

firearms

manufacturer.

16

(2)

Any

antique

firearm

or

any

firearm

manufactured

prior

17

to

the

effective

date

of

this

Act,

provided

such

firearm

is

18

otherwise

lawfully

possessed.

19

(3)

The

delivery

or

transfer

of

a

firearm

to

a

law

20

enforcement

agency.

21

5.

a.

A

person

shall

not

sell,

deliver,

or

otherwise

22

transfer

an

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

that

does

not

23

have

a

unique

serial

number

or

other

mark

of

identification

24

obtained

pursuant

to

the

system

developed

in

subsection

2.

25

b.

A

person

may

request

a

unique

serial

number

or

other

mark

26

of

identification

for

an

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

27

by

providing

any

identifying

information

to

the

department

28

concerning

the

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

and

the

29

owner

of

such

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

in

a

manner

30

prescribed

by

the

department.

Upon

receiving

a

properly

31

submitted

request

for

a

unique

serial

number

or

other

mark

32

of

identification

for

an

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver,

33

the

department

shall

determine

if

the

person

is

prohibited

34

from

purchasing

or

possessing

a

firearm.

If

the

person

is

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not

prohibited

from

purchasing

or

possessing

a

firearm,

the

1

department

shall

issue

to

the

person

a

unique

serial

number

2

or

other

mark

of

identification

no

later

than

three

business

3

days

after

the

person

makes

such

request

or

ten

days

after

the

4

department

provides

notice

pursuant

to

subsection

2,

whichever

5

date

is

later.

6

c.

A

unique

serial

number

or

other

identifying

mark

obtained

7

pursuant

to

paragraph

“b”

shall

be

engraved

upon

or

permanently

8

affixed

to

the

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

in

a

manner

9

that

conforms

with

the

requirements

imposed

on

licensed

10

importers

and

licensed

manufacturers

of

firearms

pursuant

to

18

11

U.S.C.

§923(i)

and

any

regulation

adopted

thereunder.

12

d.

A

person

may

arrange

in

advance

to

deliver

and

transfer

13

an

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

to

the

department

or

to

a

14

police

department.

15

e.

On

or

after

December

1,

2026,

a

person

shall

not

possess

16

an

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

unless

the

person

is

17

eligible

to

purchase

and

possess

a

firearm

under

state

and

18

federal

law.

19

f.

The

provisions

of

this

subsection

do

not

apply

to

the

20

sale,

delivery,

or

transfer

of

an

unfinished

frame

or

lower

21

receiver

between

any

of

the

following:

22

(1)

A

federally

licensed

firearms

manufacturer

and

a

23

federally

licensed

firearms

dealer.

24

(2)

A

federally

licensed

firearms

importer

and

a

federally

25

licensed

firearms

dealer.

26

(3)

Multiple

federally

licensed

firearms

dealers.

27

6.

A

person

shall

not

manufacture

any

firearm

from

polymer

28

plastic

that,

after

removal

of

grips,

stocks,

and

magazines,

29

is

not

as

detectable

as

a

security

exemplar

by

walk-through

30

metal

detectors

calibrated

and

operated

to

detect

the

security

31

exemplar.

32

7.

a.

Except

as

otherwise

provided

in

paragraph

“b”

,

a

33

person

who

violates

a

provision

of

this

section

commits

a

class

34

“C”

felony.

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b.

A

person

who

sells,

delivers,

or

otherwise

transfers

1

an

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

in

violation

of

the

2

provisions

of

this

section

knowing

that

such

unfinished

frame

3

or

lower

receiver

is

stolen

or

that

the

manufacturer’s

number

4

or

other

mark

of

identification

on

such

unfinished

frame

or

5

lower

receiver

has

been

altered,

removed,

or

obliterated

6

commits

a

class

“B”

felony.

7

c.

Any

firearm

or

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

8

possessed

in

violation

of

a

provision

of

this

section

shall

be

9

forfeited

to

the

department.

10

EXPLANATION

11

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

12

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

13

This

bill

relates

to

identification

markings

on

firearms

and

14

firearm

parts.

15

The

bill

requires

the

department

of

public

safety

(DPS),

in

16

consultation

with

the

bureau

of

alcohol,

tobacco,

firearms,

and

17

explosives

as

necessary,

by

December

1,

2026,

to

develop

and

18

maintain

a

system

to

distribute

a

unique

serial

number

or

other

19

mark

of

identification

for

a

firearm

or

unfinished

frame

or

20

lower

receiver

intended

to

be

a

part

of

a

firearm

to

any

person

21

requesting

such

number

or

mark.

The

bill

prohibits

a

person

22

from

removing,

defacing,

altering,

or

obliterating

the

name

of

23

any

maker

or

model,

maker’s

number,

unique

serial

number,

or

24

other

mark

of

identification

on

any

firearm.

The

possession

of

25

any

firearm

upon

which

any

identifying

mark,

number,

or

name

26

has

been

removed,

defaced,

altered,

or

obliterated

shall

be

27

prima

facie

evidence

that

the

person

owning

or

in

possession

of

28

such

firearm

has

removed,

defaced,

altered,

or

obliterated

the

29

identifying

mark,

number,

or

name.

30

The

bill

prohibits

a

person

from

completing

the

manufacture

31

of

a

firearm

without

subsequently

obtaining

a

unique

serial

32

number

or

other

mark

of

identification

from

DPS

and

engraving

33

upon

or

permanently

affixing

to

the

firearm

such

serial

34

number

or

other

mark

in

a

manner

that

conforms

with

federal

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requirements.

The

bill

prohibits

a

person

from

transferring

1

to

another

person

a

firearm

manufactured

in

violation

of

the

2

bill

or

facilitating,

aiding,

or

abetting

the

manufacture

3

of

a

firearm

by

a

person

or

for

a

person

who

is

otherwise

4

prohibited

by

law

from

purchasing

or

possessing

a

firearm,

or

5

that

a

person

is

otherwise

prohibited

by

law

from

purchasing

6

or

possessing.

7

The

prohibitions

relating

to

the

manufacture

or

transfer

8

of

firearms

that

do

not

have

a

proper

identifying

mark

do

not

9

apply

to

the

manufacture

of

a

firearm

manufactured

using

an

10

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

on

which

a

serial

number

11

or

other

identifying

mark

has

been

engraved

or

permanently

12

affixed;

to

the

manufacture

of

firearms

by

a

federally

licensed

13

firearms

manufacturer;

to

any

antique

firearm

or

any

firearm

14

manufactured

prior

to

the

effective

date

of

the

bill,

provided

15

such

firearm

is

otherwise

lawfully

possessed;

or

to

the

16

delivery

or

transfer

of

a

firearm

to

a

law

enforcement

agency.

17

The

bill

prohibits

a

person

from

selling,

delivering,

or

18

otherwise

transferring

an

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

19

that

does

not

have

a

unique

serial

number

or

other

mark

of

20

identification

obtained

pursuant

to

the

bill.

Beginning

21

December

1,

2026,

a

person

shall

not

possess

an

unfinished

22

frame

or

lower

receiver

unless

the

person

is

eligible

to

23

purchase

and

possess

a

firearm

under

state

and

federal

law.

24

These

provisions

do

not

apply

to

the

sale,

delivery,

or

25

transfer

of

an

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

between

26

a

federally

licensed

firearms

manufacturer

and

a

federally

27

licensed

firearms

dealer,

a

federally

licensed

firearms

28

importer

and

a

federally

licensed

firearms

dealer,

or

multiple

29

federally

licensed

firearms

dealers.

30

The

bill

prohibits

a

person

from

manufacturing

any

firearm

31

from

polymer

plastic

that,

after

removal

of

grips,

stocks,

32

and

magazines,

is

not

as

detectable

as

a

security

exemplar

by

33

walk-through

metal

detectors

calibrated

and

operated

to

detect

34

the

security

exemplar.

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Generally,

a

person

who

violates

a

provision

of

the

bill

1

commits

a

class

“C”

felony.

However,

a

person

who

sells,

2

delivers,

or

otherwise

transfers

an

unfinished

frame

or

lower

3

receiver

in

violation

of

the

provisions

of

the

bill

knowing

4

that

such

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

is

stolen

or

that

5

the

manufacturer’s

number

or

other

mark

of

identification

on

6

such

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

has

been

altered,

7

removed,

or

obliterated

commits

a

class

“B”

felony.

Any

8

firearm

or

unfinished

frame

or

lower

receiver

possessed

in

9

violation

of

the

bill

shall

be

forfeited

to

DPS.

10

A

class

“C”

felony

is

punishable

by

confinement

for

no

more

11

than

10

years

and

a

fine

of

at

least

$1,370

but

not

more

than

12

$13,660.

A

class

“B”

felony

is

punishable

by

confinement

for

13

no

more

than

25

years.

14

-7-

LSB

5444XS

(3)

91

sb/js

7/

7