Biden Announces Restrictions to Crack Down on 'Ghost Guns'

U.S. President Joe Biden announced new measures to crack down on so-called "ghost guns", the White House revealed on Monday.

The order aims to tighten restrictions on the weapons that can be assembled at home in minutes and are difficult to trace as they lack serial numbers.

Such guns are "the weapon of choice for many violent criminals," the White House said in a statement.

The weapons part kits shall be subject to the same requirements as commercially available fully assembled guns, according to the Biden administration.

Gun kit manufacturers must also include a serial number on key weapon components, while licensed dealers who take a "ghost gun" into their inventory must add a serial number, the US Justice Department said in a statement.

Moreover, the new regulation indicates that federally licensed dealers must keep records for their business' period, rather than for 20 years as is currently the case.

"This rule will make it harder for criminals and other prohibited persons to obtain untraceable guns, will help ensure that law enforcement officers can retrieve the information they need to solve crimes, and will help reduce the number of untraceable firearms flooding our communities," said US Attorney General Merrick Garland.