Among the most stringent in Europe, and the files are now explicitly covered.
The UK left the EU but its domestic law on weapons and public safety remains among the strictest in Europe. Crucially, UK law defines a firearm to include any individual component part, which pulls printed parts into the same regime as whole weapons.
Firearms Act 1968 (section 57): the definition of a firearm includes any individual component part. Manufacturing, purchasing or possessing printed firearm parts without a Home Office certificate is a severe criminal offence.
Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025: formally updated UK law to explicitly criminalise possessing or distributing printing templates and CAD files for firearms without lawful authority, treating digital schematics much like physical weapon components.
MHRA: regulates custom printed medical devices and implants under the Medical Devices Regulations 2002, requiring traceability, biocompatibility testing and strict manufacturer registration.