As of October 9, 2026, the ATF no longer requires approval or registration under the National Firearms Act to make or transfer suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns or AOWs.
How we got here: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act cut the NFA tax on these items to $0 starting January 1, 2026. On August 5, a federal judge in the Northern District of Texas ruled in Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF that the NFA’s registration and transfer rules were no longer a valid use of Congress’s taxing power for items with a $0 tax. The government didn’t extend the stay, so the ruling is now in effect.
What did NOT change: These items are still firearms under the Gun Control Act. Background checks at dealers, dealer recordkeeping, prohibited-person rules and interstate transfer limits all still apply. Machine guns and destructive devices are unaffected and still fall under the full NFA. And about 15 states have laws tied to federal NFA registration, so check your state law before you make or buy anything.
This is an enforcement policy, not a repeal. A future administration could try to reverse it.
Are you buying or building now, or waiting to see if it holds?
Sources:
https://www.firearmsnews.com/editorial/atf-ends-nfa-approval-suppressors-sbrs/561312
https://www.nraila.org/articles/202...s-changed-what-remains-the-same-items-of-note
How we got here: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act cut the NFA tax on these items to $0 starting January 1, 2026. On August 5, a federal judge in the Northern District of Texas ruled in Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF that the NFA’s registration and transfer rules were no longer a valid use of Congress’s taxing power for items with a $0 tax. The government didn’t extend the stay, so the ruling is now in effect.
What did NOT change: These items are still firearms under the Gun Control Act. Background checks at dealers, dealer recordkeeping, prohibited-person rules and interstate transfer limits all still apply. Machine guns and destructive devices are unaffected and still fall under the full NFA. And about 15 states have laws tied to federal NFA registration, so check your state law before you make or buy anything.
This is an enforcement policy, not a repeal. A future administration could try to reverse it.
Are you buying or building now, or waiting to see if it holds?
Sources:
https://www.firearmsnews.com/editorial/atf-ends-nfa-approval-suppressors-sbrs/561312
https://www.nraila.org/articles/202...s-changed-what-remains-the-same-items-of-note