Uzis are legal to own in the United States in their semi-automatic form under federal law, and most states allow them. Full-automatic Uzis are heavily restricted: civilians can own one only if it was registered with the ATF before May 19, 1986, and those transferable guns typically run $15,000 to $30,000. About ten states ban certain Uzi configurations outright regardless of what federal law allows.
Semi-Auto Versus Full-Auto: The Distinction That Controls Everything
The legal status of any Uzi comes down to one mechanical question: does it fire more than one round per trigger pull? Under the National Firearms Act, a machine gun is any weapon that shoots automatically with a single trigger pull, along with the frame or receiver of such a weapon and any parts designed to convert a firearm into one.1Cornell Law Institute. 26 USC 5845(b) – Machinegun Military-issue Uzis, including the full-size, Mini, and Micro versions, use an open-bolt system that fires automatically. All of them are machine guns under federal law.
The civilian versions were redesigned with a closed-bolt system that fires one round per trigger pull. They are not machine guns under federal law and do not require NFA registration. Two Uzis can look identical from the outside while sitting under entirely different legal regimes based on what’s happening inside.
Buying a Semi-Automatic Uzi
Semi-automatic Uzis fall under the Gun Control Act of 1968, not the NFA. You buy one through a licensed dealer, fill out a Form 4473, pass a NICS background check, and walk out the same day in most states. No tax stamp, no waiting period at the federal level.
The complications show up around barrel length and configuration. Federal law defines a short-barreled rifle as any rifle with a barrel under 16 inches or an overall length under 26 inches.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 921 – Definitions A semi-auto Uzi carbine sold with a shoulder stock must have a barrel of at least 16 inches to stay out of the NFA. If it falls short of that, it becomes a short-barreled rifle and requires ATF approval before you can take possession. The transfer tax on short-barreled rifles is currently $0, but the registration process still applies.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5811 – Transfer Tax
Uzi pistols are the other common civilian variant. They ship with a shorter barrel and no shoulder stock, which makes them pistols rather than rifles and keeps them off the NFA. Attaching a stock to an Uzi pistol without first registering it as a short-barreled rifle creates an unregistered NFA firearm and is a federal felony carrying up to ten years.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5871 – Penalties The ATF’s 2023 rule that would have reclassified pistols with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles was vacated in federal court and is not being enforced, so adding a brace to an Uzi pistol currently does not create an SBR.5Federal Register. Removing Factoring Criteria for Firearms With Attached Stabilizing Braces
Owning a Full-Auto Uzi
Federal law bars civilians from possessing any machine gun unless it was lawfully registered before May 19, 1986. The Firearm Owners Protection Act added 18 U.S.C. ยง 922(o), which prohibits the transfer or possession of machine guns with narrow exceptions for government agencies and firearms lawfully possessed before that cutoff.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts The ATF confirms only machine guns already in the federal registry as of that date were grandfathered.7Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. National Firearms Act
Because the supply of transferable machine guns is frozen, prices are high. A registered full-size Uzi typically sells in the range of $15,000 to $30,000 depending on condition and manufacturer.
The Transfer Process
Buying a transferable Uzi means filing ATF Form 4, the Application for Tax Paid Transfer and Registration of a Firearm, and paying a $200 transfer tax.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5811 – Transfer Tax You submit fingerprint cards, a passport-style photograph, and undergo an FBI background check. A copy of the application also goes to your local chief law enforcement officer. The ATF proposed removing that CLEO notification requirement in 2026, but the rule is not final, so the obligation still stands.8Federal Register. Removing CLEO Notification Under the National Firearms Act
Processing times have improved. The ATF’s current posted turnaround for eForms Form 4 applications is roughly 10 days for individual applicants and about 26 days for trust applications, with paper submissions running slightly longer.9Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Processing Times Times fluctuate, so check the ATF’s page before setting expectations. Once approved, the tax stamp must stay with the firearm at all times.
Penalties for Violations
Possessing an unregistered machine gun, or one manufactured after the 1986 cutoff, is a federal felony. The NFA prohibits receiving or possessing any NFA firearm not registered to you in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5861 – Prohibited Acts Conviction carries up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 under the NFA.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5871 – Penalties General federal sentencing law can push fines higher.
The Parts Trap That Catches Legal Owners
The NFA’s machine gun definition covers not just complete automatic weapons but also “any combination of parts from which a machinegun can be assembled” when those parts are in your possession.1Cornell Law Institute. 26 USC 5845(b) – Machinegun Owning a semi-automatic Uzi alongside conversion components, an open bolt, auto sear, or full-auto trigger group, can be treated as possessing an unregistered machine gun even if nothing is assembled.
The ATF and federal courts look at capability and intent. If the parts you own could be readily put together into a working machine gun and there is no lawful reason to have that combination, you face the same penalties as someone caught with a completed unregistered machine gun. “I hadn’t put it together yet” is not a defense. Anyone who owns a semi-auto Uzi should be careful about what spare parts they keep nearby.
State Bans and Magazine Limits
Federal legality does not guarantee you can own an Uzi where you live. Roughly ten states maintain assault weapon bans that restrict or prohibit certain semi-automatic firearms based on features like detachable magazines combined with pistol grips, folding stocks, or threaded barrels. Several list the Uzi by name. Those states include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington.
In these states, a semi-auto Uzi that is perfectly legal federally can still be a prohibited weapon. Some jurisdictions allow ownership of models registered before the ban took effect but bar new purchases or transfers. Full-auto transferable Uzis face even steeper hurdles, because most state assault weapon bans don’t include an NFA exception. A federal tax stamp does not override the state prohibition. Violations often carry mandatory minimum prison sentences and permanent forfeiture.
Magazine capacity is a separate layer. Restrictive states typically cap magazines at 10 to 15 rounds, while standard Uzi magazines hold 25 or 32. You would need reduced-capacity magazines before bringing any Uzi into a restricted state. Some states also require their own registration or permits on top of the federal process.
Crossing State Lines With an NFA Uzi
Semi-automatic Uzi rifles and pistols travel across state lines like any other legal firearm, subject to the laws of every state you enter. NFA items work differently. Before moving a registered machine gun or short-barreled rifle to another state, the owner must file ATF Form 5320.20 and receive written approval.11Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Application to Transport Interstate or to Temporarily Export Certain NFA Firearms Federal law makes it illegal for anyone other than a licensed dealer, manufacturer, importer, or collector to transport a machine gun or short-barreled rifle in interstate commerce without specific ATF authorization.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922(a)(4) – Unlawful Acts
The Form 5320.20 approval covers a specific time window. If you do not return the firearm to its original location by the date on the form, you need a new application. When shipping through a commercial carrier, the carrier must hold a copy of the approved form for the duration of transport. These rules apply even for a drive to a shooting event in the next state over.