To register a gun, first check whether your state requires it: most don’t. If you live in Hawaii or the District of Columbia, you register all firearms with local law enforcement. New York registers handguns and assault weapons through its licensing system. Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maryland require registration for specific categories like assault weapons or assault pistols. California maintains a Department of Justice database of all firearm sales that functions the same way. Massachusetts is phasing in a new system with full compliance required by October 2026. Everywhere else, there is no state registration to complete. The separate federal process under the National Firearms Act applies nationwide, but only to items like suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and machine guns.
Because the process depends entirely on which of these situations you’re in, work through them in order: state first, then federal NFA if it applies.
Step One: Confirm Whether Your State Requires Registration
Federal law does not create a general firearms registry, and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System is explicitly barred from being used to build one.1eCFR. 28 CFR 25.9 – Retention and Destruction of Records in the System When you buy a firearm from a licensed dealer, you fill out ATF Form 4473, and the dealer keeps that form in their own files rather than sending it to a central database.2Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Firearms Transaction Record – ATF Form 4473 So in most states, once your background check clears and you leave the store, you have no registration obligation.
The exceptions are the jurisdictions listed above. If you live in one of them, you have an affirmative duty to register, and the rest of this section walks through what that looks like. If you live anywhere else, skip to the NFA section only if you’re acquiring a regulated item like a suppressor.
Are You Eligible to Own a Firearm?
Before you can register anything, you have to be legally allowed to possess a firearm. Federal law under 18 U.S.C. ยง 922(g) bars several categories of people from having guns regardless of state law.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts You cannot possess a firearm if you:
- Have a felony conviction, meaning any crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment.
- Are a fugitive from justice.
- Use or are addicted to controlled substances.
- Have been adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution.
- Received a dishonorable discharge from the military.
- Renounced U.S. citizenship.
- Are subject to a qualifying domestic violence restraining order.
- Have a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction.
- Are unlawfully present in the United States or, with limited exceptions, are on a nonimmigrant visa.
The misdemeanor domestic violence prohibition catches many people off guard because it does not require a felony conviction. Age minimums also apply: 21 for a handgun from a licensed dealer, 18 for a rifle or shotgun, with some states set higher. Non-citizen legal permanent residents can purchase firearms but must present their permanent resident card with its alien number during the background check.4Federal Bureau of Investigation. FFL Tip Sheet for Non-US Citizens Purchasing Firearms
How to Register a Firearm with Your State
In states with registration systems, the specifics vary but the pieces are consistent. Some states run registration through a permit or license you must obtain before acquiring the firearm. Others require you to register after acquisition. Start on your state’s department of justice or state police website, or with your local police department, to confirm which model your jurisdiction uses and to download the current forms.
What You’ll Need to Provide
Registration applications ask for information about you and information about the firearm.
For yourself: full legal name, current address, date of birth, and a government-issued ID number. Some applications ask for your Social Security number. Expect to prove residency with a utility bill, lease, or property deed. Many states also require a passport-style photograph and fingerprints, which are typically submitted digitally through a Live Scan service. If your state requires a prerequisite license, safety certificate, or training course, include the documentation.
For the firearm: make, model, caliber, and serial number. The serial number is engraved on the frame, barrel, or receiver, and its exact location varies by manufacturer. If you acquired the gun through a private sale, you may also need to list the date of acquisition and the seller’s information.
Submitting the Application and Fees
Submission methods depend on the jurisdiction. Many agencies now offer online portals where you upload documents and complete forms electronically. Others require an in-person appointment at a police department for document review and fingerprinting. Some accept mailed applications. A few localities require an in-person interview as part of the review.
Fees range widely. A basic registration can be under $50, but once you factor in licensing, fingerprinting, and background check costs, the total may run into the hundreds of dollars. Check your local agency’s website for the current fee schedule before you submit.
What Happens After You Apply
Your application goes through a background check, fingerprint analysis, and in some jurisdictions a mental health records review. You should receive confirmation of receipt and be able to track the status online. When approved, you get official proof of registration, which may be a certificate, an ID card, or electronic access to your record. Keep this documentation secure and stored separately from the firearm itself.
Keeping the Registration Current
Registration is not a one-time filing. You’ll typically need to report address changes to the registering agency, and some states require you to update your driver’s license or state ID first. Sales, gifts, or other transfers must be reported so the firearm is no longer linked to you. Name changes trigger updates too.
Many registrations and the permits behind them have expiration dates. Renewal usually means submitting a new application, paying a fee, and passing another background check. Letting a registration lapse can result in fines, misdemeanor charges, or confiscation, depending on the jurisdiction. Set a reminder well before the expiration date, because renewal processing takes time.
How to Register an NFA Firearm with ATF
Federal registration applies to a specific set of items under the National Firearms Act, and it applies regardless of what state you live in. The ATF maintains the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, a central registry of every NFA-regulated item not held by the federal government.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5841 – Registration of Firearms NFA items include:
- Machine guns
- Short-barreled rifles
- Short-barreled shotguns
- Suppressors (silencers)
- Destructive devices
- “Any other weapons,” a catch-all statutory category
Every time one of these items is manufactured, imported, or transferred, it must be registered.
Form 1 or Form 4
Which form you file depends on what you’re doing. If you’re building an NFA item yourself, such as assembling a suppressor or configuring a rifle with a short barrel, you file ATF Form 1 (Application to Make and Register a Firearm). If you’re buying an already-manufactured NFA item from a dealer, the dealer initiates ATF Form 4 (Application for Tax Paid Transfer and Registration of Firearm) on your behalf.
Both forms go through ATF’s eForms system at eforms.atf.gov. The application requires a passport-style photograph, fingerprints (digital submission is preferred), and notification to your local chief law enforcement officer. If the registration is held by a gun trust with multiple people, each responsible person must submit their own photo, fingerprints, and background questionnaire.
The 2026 Tax Change
A major change took effect on January 1, 2026. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminated the federal excise tax for most NFA items. Suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and “any other weapons” now carry a $0 tax for both manufacturing and transfers. Machine guns and destructive devices still require the traditional $200 tax stamp.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5811 – Transfer Tax The registration requirement itself did not change. You still need ATF approval before making or receiving an NFA item, and you still complete the same paperwork, background check, and wait. Most applicants just no longer pay the $200.
Processing Times
Electronic filing has cut processing times sharply. As of January 2026, the average turnaround for an electronic Form 1 was 14 days. Form 4 applications averaged 10 to 11 days depending on whether the applicant was an individual or a trust.7Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Processing Times These averages assume the application is filled out correctly. Errors or omissions add weeks.
Situations That Look Like Registration but Aren’t Standard
Homemade Firearms
Federal law does not prohibit individuals from building firearms for personal use, and a firearm you build purely for personal use does not need to be serialized or registered under federal law. A 2022 ATF rule updated the definitions of “frame” and “receiver” to cover partially complete versions of these parts, including kits that can be readily assembled into functioning firearms.8Federal Register. Definition of Frame or Receiver and Identification of Firearms The Supreme Court upheld ATF’s authority to regulate these items in Bondi v. VanDerStok, decided in March 2025.9Supreme Court of the United States. Bondi v. VanDerStok, No. 23-852 If you sell or transfer a privately made firearm through a licensed dealer, the dealer must serialize it before recording the transaction.
Some states independently require serialization of all homemade firearms and restrict unserialized guns. If you later want to register a homemade firearm in a state that requires registration, the missing serial number will be a problem, and you may need to work with a licensed dealer or your state’s firearms bureau to get one assigned.
Inheriting a Firearm
For ordinary firearms in states without registration, the executor can distribute a decedent’s guns to eligible heirs without any registration process, though the heir must still be legally eligible to possess a firearm. NFA items require more care. An executor or personal representative can lawfully possess NFA firearms during probate without that counting as a “transfer” under the NFA. To move the item to a lawful heir or estate beneficiary, the executor files ATF Form 5, a tax-exempt transfer, because the transfer happens by operation of law rather than by choice.10Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Application for Tax Exempt Transfer and Registration of Firearm – ATF Form 5 If the estate contains an unregistered NFA item, the executor should contact ATF’s NFA Division directly, because possessing an unregistered NFA item is a federal felony even when innocent.
Lost or Stolen Firearms
Federal law does not require individual gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms; that reporting duty falls on licensed dealers, who must notify ATF within 48 hours.11Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Report Firearms Theft or Loss At the state level, reporting is common in registration states, with timeframes ranging from 24 hours to five days after discovery. Even where not required, reporting a stolen firearm to local police creates a record that protects you if the gun later shows up connected to a crime.