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The National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) today welcomed new guidance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confirming that the agency will no longer enforce National Firearms Act (NFA) registration, application, and tax-stamp requirements for short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, suppressors, and certain other concealable firearms. The guidance follows the Department of Justice’s decision not to appeal the NRA's federal court victory in Jensen v. ATF and to apply that result nationwide.
“This is what happens when all three branches of government are willing to follow the Constitution,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of NRA-ILA. “The NRA worked hand-in-glove with pro-gun lawmakers to zero out the unconstitutional NFA tax. Following this legislative milestone, the NRA and our allies took that opening into court to file several NFA challenges, including Jensen v. ATF, and won. Now the Trump administration has confirmed it will stop treating law-abiding Americans as if they still need special permission from the government to own hearing protection, rifles, or shotguns. While this is a historic victory, our work is far from over to ensure that all law-abiding Americans have access to these rights, regardless of what state they live in."
On August 5, 2026, U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas entered final judgment for the plaintiffs in the consolidated cases of Jensen v. ATF and Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF. The court held that once Congress eliminated the making and transfer taxes on these firearms in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the remaining registration and pre-approval scheme could no longer be justified under Congress’s taxing power. NRA filed Jensen with the American Suppressor Association, Firearms Policy Coalition, and Second Amendment Foundation. Plaintiffs included the Texas State Rifle Association, individual gun owners, and a Texas federal firearms licensee.
Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the Department of Justice would not appeal and would apply the ruling’s logic through enforcement discretion to everyone, not only the parties covered by the injunction. ATF’s open letter and frequently asked questions put that decision into practice.
Under the guidance:
- ATF will not require individuals to apply for or receive approval before making or transferring short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, suppressors, and certain “any other weapons.”
- ATF will not enforce NFA registration or tax-stamp requirements for those items.
- The $200 NFA tax, and the full NFA regime, remain in place for machine guns and destructive devices.
- Licensed dealers must still complete Form 4473s, run NICS background checks, and keep required records under the Gun Control Act.
- Interstate transportation of short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns still requires ATF approval on a Form 20.
- State and local laws are unaffected. Where a state still requires registration or imposes its own restrictions, those laws continue to apply, and ATF will continue to process NFA applications submitted for that purpose.
NRA-ILA urges members to read ATF’s frequently asked questions at atf.gov and to confirm the law in their own state before making or transferring any of the covered firearms.
The NRA will continue to update its members through its NRA-ILA alerts at NRAILA.org.
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