Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Lucy Perkins, NPR

NY attorney general orders immediate halt to realistic toy gun sales

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
It is illegal to sell toy guns in New York that look real.
It is illegal to sell toy guns in New York that look real.
John Moore

Toy guns that look real should no longer be sold in New York.

NPR's Joel Rose reports that retailers who were selling realistic-looking toy guns have agreed to halt their sales of the product. Wal-Mart, Amazon and other retailers have also agreed to pay $300,000 in fines as part of a settlement announced Monday.

An investigation by the New York attorney general's office found more than 6,000 toy guns that violate New York law were sold in the state in the past three years.

New York law requires toy guns that are made in realistic colors like black blue, silver or aluminum, to have a bright, 1-inch-wide orange stripe "down both sides of the barrel and the front end of the barrel," according to the attorney general office's press release. "When toy guns are mistaken for real guns, there can be tragic consequences," said Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. "New York State law is clear: retailers cannot put children and law enforcement at risk by selling toy guns that are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing."

Here's more from the attorney general's office:

"One of the retailers sent a cease and desist letter, Wal-Mart, was the subject of an earlier investigation by the Attorney General's office into in-store sales of such toys, which resulted in a court order prohibiting them from selling toy guns in New York State. It now appears that those sales have moved to the online marketplace. This new investigation reveals that many prohibited toy guns, priced from less than $10 to as much as several hundred dollars, can be easily purchased online and shipped into the state. The recent investigation also uncovered that at least one retailer is selling illegal toy guns in its stores."

Joel says, "There's been a push for increased regulation of toy guns since a police officer in Cleveland fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice last November. Tamir was holding a realistic airsoft gun." Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.