The ATF said Friday it will no longer require anyone to get federal approval before making or transferring suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns or "any other weapons," and will no longer require those items to be registered, in guidance that extends a Texas court ruling to every gun owner, not just the plaintiffs who won it.
"Effective October 9, 2026, ATF will no longer require individuals to seek ATF approval under the NFA" to make or transfer the items, the agency said in an open letter to licensed dealers, the Daily Caller reported. The letter adds that "these policies apply uniformly to anyone otherwise subject to these requirements, not just to the plaintiffs in the litigation." A companion FAQ says Form 4 transfer applications are no longer required for the covered items.
The change follows a ruling by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas, who found on Aug. 5 that once Congress cut the transfer tax on these items to $0 in last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the National Firearms Act's registration and approval scheme could no longer be justified under the taxing power. The decision covered the consolidated cases Jensen v. ATF and Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF.
